This report focuses on the level and trends in access to financial services in Botswana. Similar reports have been
prepared for Namibia, Botswana and Lesotho. They were commissioned by FinMark Trust, an organisation with
the mandate of promoting access to financial services in the above countries. As its slogan suggests, FinMark Trust
aims to "Make Financial Markets Work for the Poor". It aims to promote the development of the retail and
wholesale financial markets in southern African countries, allowing all income levels to access their services. This
philosophy is evident in the reports.
In addition to evaluating the current levels of access to financial services and the institutions involved, the reports
also document initiatives to promote access. The legislative and regulatory environments are also assessed in order
to identify successful initiatives that could benefit from further support.
Botswana and Namibia are ahead of Lesotho and Swaziland in terms of current levels of access to financial services.
Access is still fairly low, however, varying between 15% and 30% of the economically active population.