Botswana is pouring resources into education and innovation but remains far less successful at turning that investment into patents, technology and commercially useful products.
GAZETTE REPORTER
Botswana is investing heavily in education and other foundations of innovation but is struggling to convert those resources into patents, technology and creative products, according to the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2026.
The latest index, published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), ranks Botswana 82nd out of 139 economies, an improvement from 87th in 2025.
But beneath the improved overall ranking lies a significant gap between what Botswana puts into its innovation ecosystem and what it gets out.
INPUTS OUTPACE OUTPUTS
Botswana ranks 64th globally for innovation inputs but only 95th for outputs, a gap of 31 places.
WIPO consequently assesses Botswana as performing worse in innovation outputs than inputs. Although the country’s output ranking has improved significantly from 115th in 2025, results continue to lag behind the resources and conditions being put in place to support innovation.
Botswana ranks third globally for education expenditure as a proportion of GDP, at 8.06 percent. Yet only 18.14 percent of graduates were in science and engineering in 2023, placing Botswana 97th globally on that indicator.
PATENTS LAG
Botswana recorded only 11 patents by origin in 2023, a 21.43 percent decline from the previous year, placing it 93rd globally.
Botswana ranks 41st for institutions, 59th for business sophistication and 65th for market sophistication. However, it falls to 98th for infrastructure, 97th for knowledge and technology outputs and 91st for creative outputs.
INVESTMENT SLIPS
Research and Development expenditure fell by three percent between 2023 and 2024, while labour productivity declined by 2.1 percent between 2024 and 2025. Botswana also has no innovation cluster among the world’s top 100.
WIPO nevertheless assesses the country’s innovation performance as broadly consistent with its level of development. The GII uses roughly 80 indicators to assess innovation ecosystems worldwide.
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