Botswana’s anti-corruption performance has deteriorated sharply over the past decade. The country has recorded one of Africa’s worst declines in the latest Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) findings.
The preliminary 2026 IIAG findings place Botswana sixth in Africa for anti-corruption, with a 2025 score of 57.8, down 8.6 points over the 2016–2025 period. The country has also dropped three positions over the decade and is classified among countries experiencing “increasing deterioration.” The deterioration has accelerated since 2021, placing Botswana among just six African countries in this category. The five countries recording the worst deterioration since 2016 are Comoros, Liberia, South Africa, Niger and Botswana.
The IIAG findings show that Botswana remains comparatively highly ranked despite the decline. But its position near the top of the continental table is a significant erosion in performance over time.
The IIAG findings show that Botswana remains comparatively highly ranked despite the decline. But its position near the top of the continental table is a significant erosion in performance over time. The Anti-Corruption sub-category measures the extent of measures taken to combat corruption across government, administration and the private sector.
It assesses six areas: anti-corruption mechanisms, absence of corruption in state institutions, absence of corruption in the public sector, absence of corruption in the private sector, public procurement procedures and public perception of anti-corruption.
The IIAG finds that anti-corruption performance has deteriorated in 28 countries, representing 58.8 percent of Africa’s population. Only 26 countries, home to 41.2 percent of the population, recorded improvements since 2016.
The report warns that the continent’s anti-corruption gains remain uneven, even as some countries begin to recover from earlier declines.
At the top of the ranking, Rwanda remains a continental leader, scoring 76.6 in 2025 and improving by 2.6 points over the decade. But Rwanda is now joined at the top by Seychelles following a dramatic 26.3-point improvement since 2016.
Anti-corruption mechanisms and public procurement procedures initially declined between 2016 and 2021/2022 but have since begun “bouncing back.” However, both remain below their 2016 levels.
Seychelles also climbed 12 places, making it the strongest improver on the continent. The remaining countries in the top 10 include Burkina Faso, which recorded a 2025 score of 55.6 and sits 21 points behind the joint leaders. The IIAG findings suggest that the anti-corruption story is not simply one of decline. There are signs of recovery in several areas. At the continental level, absence of corruption in the private sector recorded the strongest improvement, rising by 4.7 points over the decade.
Anti-corruption mechanisms and public procurement procedures initially declined between 2016 and 2021/2022 but have since begun “bouncing back.” However, both remain below their 2016 levels.
Public perception deteriorated by four points over the decade, although it reached its lowest level in 2022 and has since begun improving.
