White people in Botswana

White Africans according to the 2022 census make up 0.13% of the population of Botswana. The results of the census provide the Government there were 3,400 whites in Bostawana. Are those born in or resident in Bostawana who descend from Europeans and identify themselves as White.

Botswana became a British protectorate in 1885 and gained independence as a Commonwealth nation in 1966. White settlers in Botswana, mainly Afrikaners and a small number of English-speakers, began arriving in the 1860s and primarily settled on farms near the South African border. The White population in Botswana never exceeded 3,000 individuals. The English spoken by the local population is influenced by South African dialects.

The present white population in Botswana is significantly smaller. Many white Batswana can trace their ancestry back to colonial immigrants who arrived during British rule, although the majority are now citizens of Botswana rather than British. This demographic is typically affluent, with a significant number owning and operating their own businesses.

History

European people began to immigrate into what is today the nation of Botswana in the 19th century, starting with the Boer people. The Dorsland Trek in the late 19th and early 20th centuries saw thousands of Boer families migrate from South Africa to present-day Namibia by way of Botswana. Many families stayed, especially in Ghanzi, which is in the Kalahari Desert. White people in Botswana are primarily of Boer/Afrikaner descent, but smaller numbers are also of British/Rhodesian ancestry as well.The Evolution of Modern Botswana, p. 250 by Louis A. Picard (1985)

Additionally, there is a fairly significant Serbian community in the country, mainly families of immigrants from Yugoslavia who came beginning in the 1950s. There is a Serbian Society in Gaborone, which regularly hosts a variety of cultural events. In 2016 construction began on the first Serbian Orthodox church in Botswana, the St. Nicholas Church.“Corner-Stone for a new Orthodox Church in Botswana.” Regular Session of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church Begins | Serbian Orthodox Church [Official Web Site], Serbian Orthodox Church, 25 Nov. 2016, www.spc.rs/eng/cornerstone_first_orthodox_church_botswana.In-text Citation

St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church operates in Gaborone."History of Serbs in Botswana" Saint Sava Botswana, Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Gaborone, Botswana.

White miners came to Botswana to mine gold and diamonds.

Notable people Lynette Armstrong, Accountant Roy Blackbeard, MP, High Commissioner from Botswana to the United KingdomRoy Blackbeard recalled as Botswana's High Commissioner in United Kingdom, Sunday Standard, 3rd May 2018 Ross Branch, Motorcycle racerRider, Ross Branch wants Botswana citizenship, Mmegi, July 11, 2011 Christian de Graaff, MP, Minister of AgricultureDe Graaf quits politics and lions, Mmegi, May 25, 2016 James G. Haskins, MP, Speaker of the National Assembly of BotswanaWho's who of Southern Africa, Ken Donaldson (Pty.) Limited, 1987, page 594 Derek Jones, Mayor of GaboroneMoruti Derek Jones (1927-2013), Mmegi, March 8, 2013 Ruth Williams Khama, First Lady of BotswanaLady Ruth Khama, The Guardian, 29 May 2002 Alfred Merriweather, MP, first Speaker of the National Assembly of BotswanaBotswana: The Road to Independence, Peter Fawcus, Alan Tilbury, Pula Press and the Botswana Society, 2000, page 186 Samantha Paxinos, Olympic swimmer for Botswana James Freeman, Olympic swimmer for Botswana Adrian Robinson, Olympic swimmer Benjamin Steinberg, MP, first Treasurer of the Botswana Democratic Party Hendrik van Zyl, famed trader and politician in Ghanzi

White people in Botswana

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