Botswana SIM Cards: Everything You Need To Know | 2023

Visiting Botswana soon? Make sure to know what to expect when it comes to purchasing a Botswana SIM card.

Fortunately, Africa is one of the best places where you can buy a SIM card easily.

You should be able to find a cheap SIM card pretty much anywhere in Africa. In fact, most data packages are affordable, which makes the whole thing easier!

In this guide, we’ll explain where to buy a SIM card in Botswana in person and online. We’ll also discuss prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs if your mobile supports them.

Before you read this guide, you may wonder if you actually need a SIM card in Botswana.

If you don’t mind not having Internet, you’ll likely find free Wifi in restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels.

That said, if you need data to get around, call a cab, or translate English or Tswana – you may want to get a SIM card for your travels in Botswana.

Best SIM Cards In Botswana

If you’re traveling in Botswana, we recommend using a SIM card from BTC, Orange, Mascom, or Airalo. (I’ll get back to Airalo later on, so keep reading to learn more!)

That said, if you’re planning on visiting other countries during your trip to Africa, you might want to make sure to pick an option that offers coverage in other African countries.

How To Buy A SIM Card In Botswana

You can either buy a Botswana prepaid SIM card in person in some international airports, mobile provider stores, convenience stores, or online.

Usually, you can expect higher costs and low data offers at the airport, so we don’t recommend buying a SIM card at the airport.

That said, you won’t necessarily find SIM card shops in every airport, so it’s essential to keep this in mind. And, when you see a shop, you might also have limited options.

For this reason, I’d recommend buying a SIM card directly from the mobile provider store. Note that you may need your passport to buy one.

Although, this means you won’t get data right upon your arrival. So, if you prefer to be connected at all times, you could use an eSIM or purchase an African prepaid SIM card online.

Now, let’s take a look at the data plans offered by BTC, Orange, and Mascom.

BTC SIM Cards

BTC offers three different types of tourist plans:

• 1.5 GB / day, valid for 1 day for BWP 8 ($0.62)
• 1.5 GB / day, valid for 7 days for BWP 35 ($2.69)
• 1.5 GB / day, valid for 30 days for BWP 100 ($7.69)

Orange SIM Cards

Orange has three different prepaid plans available:

• Unlimited data, valid for 1 day for BWP 8 ($0.62)
• Unlimited data, valid for 7 days for BWP 30 ($2.31)
• Unlimited data, valid for 30 days for BWP 125 ($9.61)

Mascom SIM Cards

Mascom offers several main SIM-only plans for tourists:

• 1 GB, valid for 1 day for BWP 18 ($1.38)
• 2 GB, valid for 7 days for BWP 45 ($3.46)
• 6.5 GB, valid for 30 days for BWP 120 ($9.23)
• 17 GB, valid for 30 days for BWP 279 ($21.45)
• 50 GB, valid for 30 days for BWP 650 ($49.97)
• 100 GB, valid for 30 days for BWP 990 ($76.11)

Overall, we think Orange is the best option if you plan to buy your SIM card in person.

That said, any would do if you can’t find their store!

How To Buy A Botswana Prepaid SIM Card Online

If you wish to have your SIM card ready for your arrival, you could purchase it online or on websites like Amazon.

You’ll find different plans on Amazon. For example, the OneSimCard works in more than 200+ countries and gives you data for $0.01 per MB. Botswana is included.

But there are many other options worth considering, so have a look and make sure the countries you plan on visiting are listed.

Browse your options on Amazon

Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM card for Botswana or, if you’re traveling to multiple countries, an eSIM plan for Africa.

How To Buy An eSIM Card For Botswana

eSIM is a new concept allowing you to have a virtual SIM card inside your phone.

If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards – it’s definitely one of the best options to get data in Botswana.

Curious? Learn more about eSIMs for travelers on eSIM Roamers.

I started using eSIM as soon as my mobile phone supported it. To buy eSIMs, I usually use Airalo, a reliable eSIM provider.

Keep reading to learn more about the best eSIMs for Botswana.

Airalo Botswana

If you want an eSIM for Botswana, you could purchase one on Airalo.

This website offers many eSIM cards worldwide and special plans for Africa and Botswana.

I’ve been using Airalo for several months, and it works fine. Learn more by reading our Airalo review.

Here are the options available:

• Muan Telecom: 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $7
• Muan Telecom: 2 GB, valid for 15 days for $14
• Muan Telecom: 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $20
• Muan Telecom: 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $30.50

Alternatively, if you’re traveling in other countries, Hello Africa offers coverage in 27 countries, including Botswana.

Here’s an overview of the options available on Hello Africa:

• 1 GB, valid for 30 days for $27
• 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $59

Now, one important thing to note about Airalo is that you’ll need to keep an eye out for the provider in each country.

Suppose you ever have trouble connecting to the Internet during your trip.

In that case, it might be because you’re connecting automatically to networks and need to select a network manually instead.

When you purchase the eSIM, you’ll get access to the list of networks supported in each country.

Go to Airalo

Holafly Botswana

Alternatively, you could look at your options on Holafly.

You can read our Holafly review to learn more about this eSIM store.

Here’s an overview of the plan for Botswana:

• 6 GB data, valid for 15 days for $44

Go to Holafly

Final Thoughts On SIM Cards In Botswana

As you can see, getting a prepaid SIM card in Botswana or even an eSIM for your travels in Botswana is pretty straightforward.

You’ll even be able to stay connected wherever you go in Africa without changing your SIM card, especially if you purchase an Africa or global plan.

I believe the eSIM card is the most convenient way to get data in Botswana if you wish to have data upon your arrival.

This way, you won’t need to go to a store to buy a SIM card.

Obviously, you need to make sure your mobile phone supports eSIM first.

Traveling to Africa soon? Read one of the following blog posts: