Statistics Botswana published the September consumer price index on 15 October 2026. Annual inflation was 7.8%, down from 9.3% in August and 9.4% in July, after peaking at 10.7% in June. Prices rose 0.1% between August and September.
Transport remained the largest contributor at 4.0 percentage points, down from 5.1 in August, with transport prices 15.0% higher than a year earlier after the March fuel-price shock. A fall in domestic fuel prices on 7 July had already cut headline inflation by 2.3 points. Miscellaneous goods and services added 1.1 points, housing and utilities 0.7, food 0.7 and alcohol and tobacco 0.4. Communication was the only group cheaper than a year earlier.
Month on month, food and non-alcoholic drinks fell 0.6%, led by a 3.0% drop in vegetable prices, while housing, water, electricity and fuels rose 0.6%. Part of the annual decline is a base effect: September 2025 had jumped to 3.7% from 1.4%.
The figure remains well above the Bank of Botswana’s 3% to 6% objective range, which is why the policy rate was held at 5.5% two weeks later.
What this means for you
- Wage negotiations for 2027 will reference these numbers; budget for settlements above the historical 4% to 5%.
- Inventory-heavy businesses should check that cost-of-sales reflects replacement cost, not historical cost.
- Fixed-price contracts signed before March 2026 may now be loss-making; review IFRS 15 onerous contract provisions.
If any of these points apply to your organisation, talk to us. We will tell you what needs to change and what it will take.
Statistics Botswana: Consumer Price Index, September 2026
Published 15 October 2026. This article is general information, not advice for a specific situation.