Botswana Rail Freight Declines in First Quarter of 2025
In July, Statistics Botswana released its summary of the latest Transport and Infrastructure Statistics for Quarter 1 2025, covering motor vehicle registrations, rail, and air transport statistics.
During the first quarter, a total of 196,637 net tonnes of goods were transported by rail, representing a decline of 24.1 percent compared to the previous quarter. Transit traffic goods accounted for 12.9 percent of the total volume, while local traffic goods made up 21.7 percent. Total imports and exports comprised 32.9 percent and 32.4 percent, respectively.
Rail freight revenue for the quarter amounted to P47.5 million. Of this, 32.4 percent was generated from total exports, 27.3 percent from total imports, 24.4 percent from local traffic goods, and 15.9 percent from transit traffic goods. The highest share of revenue was recorded in June, contributing 40.4 percent of the quarterly total.
Rail transport covers both passenger (which is no longer operational) and goods movements, along with the revenue generated from their conveyance. Botswana Origin is defined as the sum of total exports and local traffic goods, while Botswana Total combines total imports and Botswana Origin goods. Total Traffic includes total exports, total imports, local traffic, and transit traffic. Local traffic refers to goods transported within Botswana, and transit traffic refers to goods transported through Botswana to other countries.
The full report can be accessed via Statistics Botswana:
