Botswana is a landlocked country in the south of Africa. It falls in the middle of South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. There is a significant difference in how people across the country write addresses. The urban areas have formal street names, plot numbers, and P.O. boxes, which are limited or nonexistent in the rural areas. The national addressing system of the country is still developing, and not all areas have been mapped, especially the new residential areas or informal settlements. In the traditional address descriptions, people describe location by referencing who lives there, a famous nearby shop, or a landmark rather than formal street addresses. Moreover, there are different types of addresses, each with its own specific element requirement. If you want to send mail to a client or customer in Botswana but don’t know the correct address format, we will help you. We have listed all the different types of addresses, as well as the format and examples for each.

Recipient Name

In the first line, start by writing the recipient’s name. You can also add honorific titles like Rra. for Mr. and Mma. for Mrs. If you are sending the mail to a business, the company’s name will come in the first line. Write the person’s name and department in the second and third lines. Add ATTN. in front of the person’s name to ensure the internal mail distribution system sends the mail to the correct office and desk.

Street Address

Write the street name and the house building or plot number. Most addresses use a P.O. box since the addressing system is still developing. You can write the term “P.O. box” and then the box number. If the recipient has a private, locked mailbox at the post office, you can write the term “P/Bag” and then the bag number.

City or Town

Write the name of the city or the town. Some of the famous cities in Botswana are Maun, Gaborone, Selebi-Phikwe, Francistown, and Serowe.

Country Name

Write the name of the country in the last line. If sending international mail to Botswana, write the name in capital letters.

Residential Address Format

Write the recipient’s name, street address, PO box number, city/town, and country name. Every address element will come in separate lines.

Rural Address Format

Typically, the streets in rural areas of Botswana do not have a formal name. Write the village’s name and the nearest larger town in this case. Add the rest of the address elements in the same way as the residential address.

Business Address Format

Instead of the recipient’s name in the residential address, write the company’s name in the first line. Write the person’s name in the second line and add their department in the third line.

International Address Format for NGOs and Organizations

Write the organization’s name in the first line and the specific department in the second line. Place all the other address components, except the recipient’s name, in the same way as the residential address.

P.O. Box Address Format

Instead of the street address, write the term “P.O. box” and then the box number in the residential address. If the person has a private bag, write the term “P/BAG” and then the bag number.

Military Address Format

The military address format follows the same structure as the residential address format except for the first two lines. In the first line, write the rank and full name of the person. In the second line, write the military unit number.

Government Office Address Format

Instead of the recipient’s name, write the office and department names in the residential address on the first and second lines.

Address Format for Multiple Recipients

If you want to mail multiple people in the same household or business, you should write each name on separate lines of the residential and business addresses.

Address Format for Courier Services

If you send mail using courier services like DHL or FedEx, add the recipient’s contact details in the last line of the residential address. This will help the delivery agent if they face difficulty finding the exact address.

Botswana’s national postal service provider is BotswanaPost, established in 1875. It has evolved from a basic mail service to a modern-day digital and logistics provider. It has over 126 offices within the nation that offer domestic mail services. It has partnered with Universal Post Union (UPU) to provide international mail services like EMS. Aside from a standard mail service, it offers financial services like money transfers through postal orders, MoneyGram, and mobile money services. Individuals and businesses also use it to pay utility, school, and government bills. It provides a digital platform for online shopping, such as Poso Online Shop. It also provides an access point for government services like passport renewals and licensing. 

You have learned how to structure the address format for a recipient in Botswana. However, you need a verified address to ensure your address reaches the intended recipient. PostGrid Address Verification solution verifies, standardizes, and offers real-time address autocomplete suggestions. Whether you want to verify a single or bulk address, we provide correct, complete, and up-to-date addresses in sync with the official postal service provider for over 245 countries and territories. 

If you are curious about the format of any other country, visit our international address format page and learn the address format followed in countries around the world.