SECTOR 2

The media landscape, including new
media, is characterised by diversity,
independence and sustainability.
2.1
A wide range of sources of information (print,
broadcasting, internet) is available and affordable to
citizens.
Print
The media landscape in Botswana is very similar to how it was two years ago.
The country has two daily newspapers – the state-owned, free Daily News (with
a national circulation of 65,000), and Mmegi (with a circulation of 11,000 on
Mondays to Thursdays and 22,400 on Fridays). There are 13 private weekly
newspapers in Botswana – The Botswana Gazette, Botswana Guardian, Echo,
Midweek Sun, The Mirror, Monitor, Ngami Times, Sunday Standard, Sunday
Tribune, The Voice and the three new entrants (in the past two years): the Global
Post (in Chinese and English), the Weekend Post and the Telegraph. Most of
these newspapers are national, while others are limited to specific locations. The
newspapers have circulations ranging between 8,000 (Sunday Tribune) and 30,000
(The Voice).1
In the past two years, at least three private newspapers have closed down: the
weekly Francistown Blue Jacket News; the fortnightly private newspaper, the
Tswana Times; and the erratically published Independent Informer.
Other private newspapers include the monthly Economic Express, which is
published erratically.
There are a number of local magazines, including the environmentally focussed
Wena, Hotel and Tourism, the youth publication Lapologa, a farmers’ magazine, and
the contemporary state-published magazine, Kutlwano. New monthly magazine
entrants in the last two years include Wealth, Flair, Architect Design, Peolwane (Air
Botswana’s in-flight magazine) and the general-interest Mahube. Many Botswana
magazines are published infrequently.

1

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Mmegi is the biggest private newspaper - the only daily private newspaper in the country - which also
owns the Botswana Guardian, its former chief rival. This unlikely merger may not have been sanctioned
if there was a coherent Competition Commission established because it does very little to add to media
diversity in the country.

AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BOTSWANA 2011

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