Botswana
Currency in Botswana: what to use and how to exchange
Botswana uses the Botswana pula (BWP), roughly 13–14 per US$ in 2026 — check before you fly. Bring some pula cash for tips, small shops and park fees, but plan on cards for lodges and fuel: safari camps usually quote and bill in US dollars. Exchange at a bank or airport bureau rather than the street, and carry a card as backup.
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- Plan calculated
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GuideBotswana
Key facts
- Currency
- Botswana pula (BWP), symbol P; 100 thebe = 1 pula
- Rough ratecheck
- About 13–14 BWP per US$1 in 2026 — check
- Cash is needed forcheck
- Tips, small shops, some park and entry fees, rural fuel — check
- Cardscheck
- Accepted at lodges, larger hotels, supermarkets and fuel stations in towns — check
- Safari camps
- Usually priced and billed in US dollars, not pula
- Best exchange
- Banks and airport bureaux in Gaborone, Maun and Kasane; avoid street traders
- ATMs
- Widely available in towns; fewer and less reliable in remote areas
- Time zone
- Central Africa Time, UTC+2 all year
Details
The pula is a closed currency in practice: you can buy it before you arrive at some banks, but rates are usually better once you are in Botswana. Bring US dollars or another major currency in clean, recent notes if you want to exchange on arrival, and keep the receipt — you may need it to convert leftover pula back at the airport.
Plan your cash in bands. In Gaborone, Maun and Kasane you can withdraw from ATMs and pay by card almost anywhere a traveller goes. Once you are on the road to the Delta, Chobe, the pans or the Kalahari, cash matters more: fuel stops, small shops, craft stalls, park entry and staff tips are often cash-only or card-unreliable. Carry enough pula for two or three days beyond your next town.
Safari camps sit outside this system. Most quote nightly rates, activities and drinks in US dollars and settle the bill by card at the end, so you do not need to convert large sums. What you do need in hand is tip money: guides and camp staff are usually tipped in pula or US dollars, and the amounts are set per guest per day.
If you are crossing to Victoria Falls or into Namibia, Zambia or South Africa, spend or exchange your pula before you leave — it is hard to change outside Botswana and rates elsewhere are poor. Keep a small float of US dollars for regional visas and border fees.
| Situation | Best option | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lodge or safari camp bill | Card, billed in US$ | Camps price in US dollars, not pula |
| Tips for guides and staff | Pula or US$ cash | Per guest per day; check with the camp |
| Town supermarket, fuel, restaurant | Card or pula cash | Cards work in Gaborone, Maun, Kasane — check |
| Remote fuel, small shops, craft stalls | Pula cash | Carry a two-to-three-day float — check |
| Park and entry fees | Pula cash or card | Not all gates take cards — check |
| Leftover pula | Spend or exchange before leaving | Hard to change outside Botswana — check |
Rates and card acceptance change; confirm locally (check).
Tips
Change money at a bank branch or an airport bureau in Gaborone, Maun or Kasane rather than with anyone approaching you; street exchange is not worth the risk. Ask for a mix of P100 and P50 notes plus small notes for tips and parking.
Tell your bank you are travelling so your card is not blocked, and carry two cards from different networks. ATMs in towns usually work; machines at remote airstrips and park gates do not exist. Keep a cash backup for the days when the card reader is down or the signal drops.
Prices in lodges and tour quotes are often in US dollars while day-to-day costs are in pula, so keep a rough conversion in your head: at about 13–14 pula to the dollar, P100 is roughly US$7–8 — check the rate on the day.
- Carry small pula notes for tips and small purchases.
- Keep exchange receipts for converting leftover pula.
- Two cards, two networks, plus cash for remote days.
- Spend pula before leaving Botswana.
FAQ
Questions people ask
What currency is used in Botswana?
The Botswana pula (BWP), divided into 100 thebe. It was introduced in 1976 and is issued by the Bank of Botswana. In 2026 it trades at roughly 13–14 pula per US dollar — check the rate before you travel.
Where is the best place to exchange money in Botswana?
Bank branches and airport bureaux in Gaborone, Maun and Kasane give the clearest rates. Avoid street traders. If you exchange cash, keep the receipt so you can convert leftover pula back before you leave.
Is it better to bring cash or use a card in Botswana?
Both. Cards work at lodges, town hotels, supermarkets and fuel stations, and safari camps usually bill in US dollars. Bring pula cash for tips, remote fuel, small shops and park fees, where cards can fail — check locally.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialBank of Botswana
- officialBotswana Tourism Organisation
- secondaryWikivoyage – Botswana