Statistics Botswana Releases Q1/2024 Transport And Infrastructure Stats Brief

Railways Africa Magazine recently reviewed the latest statistics brief from Botswana. The brief presents a summary of Transport and Infrastructure Statistics for Quarter 1, 2024, covering Motor Vehicle Registrations, Rail, and Air transport statistics.

As a magazine focused on rail, we were particularly interested in the positive shift in volumes transported by rail. In Q1 2024, 268,247 net tonnes were transported by rail, marking an increase of 6.5 percent compared to the previous quarter. Of the 268,247 net tonnes of goods transported, 77.5 percent were Botswana Total, which includes total imports plus Botswana Origin. Goods that originated from Botswana (Botswana Origin) constituted 57.3 percent. Total exports made up 27.5 percent of the total, while transit traffic and total imports constituted 22.5 and 20.1 percent, respectively. Most of the goods (34.4 percent) were transported during February, with January and March contributing 34.1 percent and 31.4 percent of the total goods transported, respectively.

Revenue generated from the volume of goods transported by rail amounted to P65.0 million, an increase of 4.3 percent compared to the P62.3 million generated in the previous quarter. January recorded 34.8 percent of the total revenue, while February and March generated 34.3 percent and 30.9 percent of total revenue, respectively.

Rail transport typically covers passengers and goods transported by rail, and the revenue generated from conveying these goods and passengers. However, readers of Railways Africa Magazine would know that currently, Botswana Railways is not moving passengers.

Botswana Origin includes total exports and local traffic goods, while Botswana Total is an addition of total imports and Botswana Origin goods. Total Traffic comprises 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.

There is still significant room for improvement when considering historical data:

2012:

• Goods carried through the railway decreased by 2.5 percent, from 2,034,812 net tonnes in 2011 to 1,984,896 net tonnes in 2012.
• Imports decreased by 9.8 percent, while exported goods increased by 1.8 percent.
• Local traffic, which includes goods originating and ending within Botswana, increased by 8.3 percent.

2014:

• Goods carried through rail decreased to 1,844,808 net tonnes from 1,984,896 net tonnes in 2012.

2016:

• Botswana Railways reinstated passenger service in April 2016. Since the service was introduced, 109,272 passengers were transported, generating more than P10 million from rail passenger transportation.
• Goods conveyed through rail increased by 2.5 percent, from 2,007,005 net tonnes in 2015 to 2,057,402 net tonnes in 2016. This increase may have resulted from a 388.6 percent increase in transit traffic. Other rail traffic categories decreased, with imports declining by 15.1 percent and exports by 10.3 percent.

Passenger rail services remain suspended, although earlier this year, Botswana Railways issued a tender for a partner to assist in this regard, with no official updates provided yet.

Download the latest stats here:

https://www.statsbots.org.bw/sites/default/files/Transport%20and%20Infrastructure%20Stats%20Brief%20Quarter%201%20%2C%202024.pdf

Previous reports:

https://www.statsbots.org.bw/sites/default/files/publications/Botswana%20Transport%20%26%20Infrastructure%20Statistics%202012%20Report%20final%202013.pdf

https://www.statsbots.org.bw/sites/default/files/publications/Transport%20%20Infrastructure%20Statistics%20Report%202016.pdf

https://www.statsbots.org.bw/sites/default/files/publications/Transport%20%20Infrastructure%20Statistics%20Report%202016.pdf

https://www.statsbots.org.bw/sites/default/files/publications/trans_infrastructure.pdf