Botswana
Botswana/Namibia Mission
Gaborone, Botswana
- Location
- Gaborone, Botswana
- Country
- Botswana
- Region
- Southern Africa
- Local time
- Africa/Gaborone
- Coordinates
- 24.7° S, 25.9° E
- Elevation
- 1,011 m (3,317 ft)
- Population of Gaborone
- 246,325
- Climate
- Hot semi-arid (Köppen BSh)
- Currency
- Botswana pula (BWP P)
- Languages in Botswana
- English, Tswana
Where is the Botswana/Namibia Mission?
The Botswana/Namibia Mission is based in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. It sits at 24.7° S, 25.9° E, about 1,011 m (3,317 ft) above sea level.
Gaborone has a recorded population of about 246,000.
Missionaries assigned here serve across areas set by the mission, which can reach well beyond Gaborone itself, and they are transferred between those areas during a mission.
Where this information comes from
Local time in Gaborone
Missionary Tracker shows this clock and today’s weather next to your missionary, so nobody has to work out whether it is a reasonable hour to write.
Climate and seasons in Gaborone
Gaborone has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Dry steppe climate — warm to hot, with limited rain concentrated in part of the year. The warmest month is January, averaging a daily high of 33 °C (91 °F); the coolest is July, averaging a daily low of 4 °C (39 °F). Around 468 mm (18.4 in) of precipitation falls in an average year, most of it in January and least in July.
Summer
December – February
- Average high
- 33 °C (91 °F)
- Average low
- 19 °C (66 °F)
- Rainfall
- 236 mm (9.3 in)
Autumn
March – May
- Average high
- 28 °C (82 °F)
- Average low
- 13 °C (55 °F)
- Rainfall
- 101 mm (4 in)
Winter
June – August
- Average high
- 24 °C (75 °F)
- Average low
- 6 °C (43 °F)
- Rainfall
- 9 mm (0.4 in)
Spring
September – November
- Average high
- 32 °C (90 °F)
- Average low
- 15 °C (59 °F)
- Rainfall
- 122 mm (4.8 in)
This describes the weather, not what to pack. Your Missionary Portal and the mission’s own “what to bring” instructions decide your clothing and equipment, and they take priority over anything here.
Languages
Languages most widely used in Botswana are English and Tswana.
- English
- Tswana
This describes the country, not the assignment. The language a missionary is called to speak is set by the Church and stated in the call itself — it can differ from the languages above, and missionaries in one mission are not always assigned the same one.
Preparing to serve in the Botswana/Namibia Mission
Start with the instructions in your Missionary Portal and the mission’s own letter — those are the only sources that speak for the Botswana/Namibia Mission. These guides cover the practical side nobody sends you: the paperwork, the shopping, the packing and the last weeks at home.
What to Do After Receiving Your Mission Call
The call answers where and when. This is the order to do everything that follows, starting with the parts that have deadlines.
Read the guideLDS Mission Preparation Checklist: Everything to Do Before You Leave
The whole runway in one place — from the year before you submit a recommendation to the morning you leave for the MTC.
Read the guideLDS Missionary Packing List
Everything worth packing, in the order you should buy it, and the things most missionaries wish they had left at home.
Read the guideWhat to Bring to the MTC
The quick answer first, then the detail: what you actually need on arrival day and what can stay in the suitcase.
Read the guideVisa and travel arrangements are handled through your Missionary Portal and the Church’s travel office. Follow their instructions rather than any third-party summary, including this one.
Mission tools
Both tools are free, run entirely in your browser, and open with the Botswana/Namibia Mission already selected.
Know your mission dates?
Enter the start and expected return dates for days served, days remaining and the halfway point — then download a shareable countdown card.
Create a CountdownPrintable countdown map
Turn the mission length into a free printable countdown map of Botswana, with one numbered square for each mission day to colour in.
Create a Countdown MapCalled to the Botswana/Namibia Mission?
Set up your mission before you leave. Add the Botswana/Namibia Mission and your dates to Missionary Tracker so your family has one private place to follow your countdown, current serving area and updates once your mission begins.
Free on iPhone and Android. Profiles are shared by join code, not published anywhere.
Create Mission CountdownMission boundaries, assignments and instructions change; always use current information from the Church and your Missionary Portal.