Botswana is still least corrupt country
Botswana remains one of Africa's least corrupt countries, but its longstanding reputation as a regional leader in good governance is showing signs of strain, this is according to the latest Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG).
The 2025 report ranks Botswana sixth in Africa for anti-corruption with a score of 57.8 out of 100, keeping it comfortably among the continent's top performers.
However, beneath that impressive ranking lies a worrying trend: Botswana's score has fallen by 8.6 points over the past decade, making it one of Africa's five biggest declines since 2016.
The report classifies Botswana as a country experiencing 'Increasing Deterioration,' meaning that not only has its anti-corruption performance worsened over the past 10 years, but the pace of that decline has picked up in recent years.
The findings are likely to raise fresh questions about the country's ability to safeguard its reputation for transparency and accountability at a time when corruption continues to dominate public debate.
The Anti-Corruption index forms part of the IIAG's Security and Rule of Law pillar and measures how effectively countries prevent and combat corruption in government, public administration and the private sector.
It assesses six key areas, including anti-corruption institutions, corruption in state and public institutions, private sector integrity, procurement systems and public confidence in anti-corruption efforts.
Although Botswana remains among Africa's elite performers, the report notes that it is moving in the opposite direction to several countries that have made significant gains over the past decade.
Only Rwanda and Seychelles perform better, sharing first place with scores of 76.6, while Botswana remains ahead of most countries on the continent despite slipping three places in the rankings since 2016.
Ironically, Botswana is listed alongside South Africa as one of the continent's biggest deteriorators, even though both countries continue to rank relatively high compared to the rest of Africa. The other countries recording the
sharpest declines are Comoros, Liberia and Niger.
Elsewhere on the continent, the picture is more encouraging.
After several years of declining performance between 2018 and 2020, Africa has begun to recover. The continental average anti-corruption score edged up from 38.6 in 2016 to 39.1 in 2025, suggesting that reforms introduced in several countries are beginning to bear fruit.
Seychelles recorded the most remarkable turnaround, improving by more than 26 points over the decade to join Rwanda as Africa's best-performing country. Angola, Chad, Somalia and Togo also registered some of the strongest improvements.
The report shows that while more than 40 percent of Africans now live in countries where anti-corruption has improved since 2016, almost 60 percent still live in countries where corruption controls have weakened.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) remains Africa's best-performing Regional Economic Community on anti-corruption, recording the highest regional average score of 44.5.
Across the continent, the biggest gains have been made in reducing corruption in the private sector. However, public confidence in anti-corruption efforts has declined over the past decade, despite showing signs of recovery since 2022.
For Botswana, the report sends a clear message. While the country remains one of Africa's strongest performers in the fight against corruption, its downward trajectory suggests that maintaining that position cannot be taken for granted.
Reversing the decline will require renewed efforts to strengthen oversight institutions, improve public procurement, enforce accountability and restore public confidence in the country's anti-corruption framework.