What is the capital of Botswana?
Gaborone sits between Kgale Hill and Oodi Hill near the meeting of the Notwane and Segoditshane rivers, in the south-eastern corner of Botswana and within 15 kilometres of the South African border, about 1,014 metres above sea level.
Gaborone is the capital and seat of government of Botswana. Botswana itself has an estimated population of 2,562,122 (2025).
Gaborone is also the largest city in Botswana, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Gaborone at a glance
| City population | 246,325 (2022 census) |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan area | 534,842 (2022 census) |
| Pronunciation | GAH-bə-ROH-nee (US), GAB-ə-ROH-nee (UK) |
| Country | 🇧🇼 Botswana |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Largest city in Botswana | Gaborone |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (CAT) |
| Currency | Botswana pula (BWP) |
About Gaborone
Gaborone was founded in 1964.
The city was spelled Gaberones in the colonial era, a form still found in older English texts and maps.
About one in ten people in Botswana lives in Gaborone.
The city is an administrative district in its own right, while also serving as the capital of the surrounding South-East District.
It is served by Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, and locals often call the place GC or Motse-Mshate.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Gaborone.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Botswana?
Is Gaborone the largest city in Botswana?
What is the population of Gaborone?
Where is Gaborone located?
How do you pronounce Gaborone?
What time zone is Gaborone in?
What currency is used in Gaborone?
Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Botswana on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.