Africa · Southern Africa · Sovereign state
Current time in Botswana
A single time zone at UTC+02:00.
Sunday, May 31, 2026
About Botswana's time
A single time zone.
Botswana uses a single timezone — Central Africa Time (CAT), which is UTC+02:00 — and has never observed daylight saving time.
Major cities
Cities of Botswana.
History
How Botswana keeps time.
Botswana adopted Central Africa Time (UTC+02:00) upon gaining independence from Britain on September 30, 1966. As a landlocked country in Southern Africa, it aligned with the timezone used by many of its neighbors to facilitate trade and communication, particularly with South Africa and Zambia. The adoption of CAT replaced the previous use of the British South Africa Company's time standard, which had varied during the colonial period under the Bechuanaland Protectorate. Since standardization, Botswana's timezone policy has remained remarkably stable, with no significant changes or proposals to alter the country's timekeeping practices.
Did you know?
Things about Botswana's time.
This Southern African nation aligns perfectly with its geographic position in the UTC+02:00 band, sitting at roughly 20°E to 30°E longitude. This means sunrise and sunset times closely match the clock, with solar noon occurring around 12:00 PM local time throughout the year. The country's consistent use of CAT without daylight save time means seasonal time shifts don't disrupt schedules — a practical advantage for tourism (the country's Okavango Delta is a major destination) and regional business.
Botswana shares its timezone with South Africa and 13 other African countries, including Namibia (during standard time) and Zambia. This uniformity across Southern Africa simplifies cross-border coordination for the Southern African Development Community (SADC), headquartered in Gaborone. Unlike many countries in the Southern Hemisphere, Botswana has never experimented with daylight saving time — the relatively small variation in daylight hours at its latitude (roughly 17°S to 27°S) and the complexity of coordinating with neighbors likely factored into this decision.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Botswana's time zone, daylight saving rules, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- What timezone is Botswana?
- Botswana uses Central Africa Time (CAT), which is always UTC+02:00. There is no daylight saving time, so the offset is the same year-round.
- Does Botswana observe daylight saving time?
- No, Botswana has never observed daylight saving time. The time remains UTC+02:00 throughout the year.
- What countries share Botswana's timezone?
- Botswana shares UTC+02:00 (CAT) with Southern African countries including South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (eastern part).
- Is Gaborone always on the same time as Johannesburg?
- Yes, both Gaborone and Johannesburg are on UTC+02:00 year-round since neither Botswana nor South Africa observes daylight saving time.
- How far ahead of UTC is Botswana?
- Botswana is UTC+02:00, so it is 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time.
- How many time zones does Botswana have?
- Botswana has a single timezone covering its entire territory. The country is compact enough geographically that one timezone suffices.
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