Botswana

Getting Electricity in

Botswana

Below is a detailed summary of the procedures, time and cost required for a business to obtain an electricity connection for a newly constructed building in Botswana.

This information was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 185 economies. The most recent round of data collection was completed in June 2012.

Compare Botswana to 185 other economies.

  • Standardized Company

  • Name of Utility: Botswana Power Corporation
  • City: Gaborone

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No. Procedure Time to Complete Associated Costs
1 Submit application to Botswana Power Company (BPC) and await estimate

Complete an Application for Supply form, obtainable from any BPC office nearest to you. Completed forms may be submitted to any BPC office, regardless of the location of the premises where power is required. Where the application is made by letter, the customer's full details as well as those of the installation to be supplied, complete with the size of supply needed, should be given.
If the applicant is not the owner of the property to be electrified, the owner's written consent should be provided by the applicant.
Agency: Botswana Power Company 		7 calendar days no charge
2 Receive site visit from BPC and await estimate

Site visit is conducted to assess power supply requirement, distance from nearest point of supply.
Agency: Botswana Power Company 		11 calendar days no charge
3 Receive estimate from BPC, make payment, and receive external connection works

Costs include connection costs, (material and labor), security deposit on meter, which is returned upon disconnection, with no interest.
Agency: Botswana Power Company 		75 calendar days BWP 207,317.9
4 Request and receive internal and external wiring testing from BPC inspection department

When BPC have installed the service and the consumer is ready to take supply:
1. An appointment must be made with the BPC Inspection Department for testing of the installation. The first test is free.
2. A certificate is issued when the installation passes the test .
3. In the event of the installation failing the first test, a fee will be charged for any subsequent tests.
4. It is important that the appointment for the test be done in consultation with the person who will have wired the consumer's premises. His presence will be required when the installation is tested.
5. Test certificates issued by The Department of Electrical and Mechanical Services, for Government projects or by one of the BPC approved consultants on behalf of the Corporation are acceptable proof of the installation having passed an inspection.
Agency: Botswana Power Company 		14 calendar days no charge
5 Submit stamped inspection certificate to BPC and sign supply contract, and receive turn on of electricity

There is an option of paying the security deposit at this point or earlier, along with connection costs.
Agency: Botswana Power Company 		14 calendar days no charge
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