The government of Botswana, like most African governments, provides public services that
include, amongst others, household services, public education and public health care to the
citizens free of charge or at minimal costs. While this may create a sense of entitlement and
dependency on the government, it also ensures availability of such services to the citizens.
This paper evaluates the availability and accessibility of public services in Botswana by
analysing the results of the Afro-barometer survey of 2012 on the access to household
services, public primary education and health services. The paper argues that while Botswana
has achieved a lot politically and socio-economically, the benefits of that are not
commensurate with the provisions of public services to the citizens. The paper is divided into
3 sections. First, following the introduction which briefly outlines Botswana’s socioeconomic
achievements, the paper reviews the literature on the provision of public services
and the justification for governments to provide such services. The second section analyses
the provision of and access to public services in Botswana. The last section highlights the
possible challenges and prospects for Botswana to provide and ensure ease access to public
services.