Maverick Kabelo
Operations Manager, Digital Thread
Maverick Kabelo is the Operations Manager at Digital Thread, where he works with Botswana businesses on web design, branding, and data protection compliance under the Data Protection Act, 2024. He writes and speaks on practical, plain-language data protection for business owners.
www.maverickkabelo.co.bwArticles by Maverick
Is Botswana's Information and Data Protection Commission Operational Yet?
As of the most recent public reporting, the Information and Data Protection Commission is legally established under the Act but was still building out its basic operational capacity, including having no dedicated public website.
Sending Personal Data Outside Botswana: The Practical Rules
Yes, a Botswana business can send personal data outside the country. Most businesses already do without realising it, but the Act sets specific conditions.
5 Data Protection Mistakes on Botswana Business Websites
Most Botswana business websites make the same handful of avoidable mistakes, none of which require a lawyer to fix, just attention.
Cookies, Google Analytics and Botswana's Data Protection Act
Cookies and tools like Google Analytics that identify or track visitors involve processing personal data, so the Act's ordinary rules apply, including needing a lawful basis and telling people what is happening.
How Long Can a Business Keep Personal Data in Botswana?
The Act does not set a fixed retention period in years or months for any category of data. If someone tells you the law requires deleting data after a specific number of years, they are either thinking of a different law or simply wrong.
Can an Employer Collect Employee Personal Data in Botswana?
Yes, an employer can and generally needs to collect a fair amount of employee data to run payroll, benefits and basic HR, but the Act still applies fully to that data. There is no workplace exemption.
Your Rights as a Data Subject Under Botswana's Data Protection Act
As a person whose personal data a business holds, you have eight distinct rights under the Act, and most people have never used any of them.
What Are the Penalties for Breaching Botswana's Data Protection Act?
Administrative fines up to P50,000,000 or 4% of worldwide annual turnover for the most serious contraventions, and criminal penalties of up to P500,000 or 9 years in prison for individuals.
Does My Business Need a Data Protection Officer in Botswana?
Only in three specific situations, and most small and medium Botswana businesses don't fall into any of them, though some common business types do without realising it.
What Happens After a Data Breach in Botswana?
You have 72 hours to tell the Commission, and possibly to tell affected customers too, depending on the risk level.
Can You Send Marketing Messages Without Consent in Botswana?
Yes, consent isn't the only lawful basis available. But once anyone objects to marketing specifically, you have to stop immediately, with no exceptions.
What Should a Privacy Policy Contain in Botswana?
At minimum, what the Act itself requires you to disclose under sections 39 to 41, not a generic template copied from an overseas site.
Data Controller vs Data Processor: What's the Difference in Botswana?
A controller decides why and how personal data is processed. A processor just processes it on the controller's instructions, without deciding either.
What Counts as Personal Data in Botswana?
Personal data is broader than most people assume: it is any information that can be linked to an identifiable person, not just names and ID numbers.
Does the Data Protection Act Apply to Small Businesses in Botswana?
Yes, in almost every respect. The Act sets one exemption tied to business size, and it is narrower than most owners assume.