15 September 2026
- Botswana has begun land assessment and valuation work for the proposed 4,000-hectare Zotus City development in Ghanzi District.
- The exercise is expected to support compensation arrangements and inform technical, environmental and master-planning work.
- The project is planned around logistics, manufacturing, aviation, renewable energy and technology along the Trans-Kalahari Corridor.
Botswana has begun land assessment and valuation work for the proposed 4,000-hectare Zotus City development in Ghanzi District, advancing preparations for a project that is also seeking Special Economic Zone status.
According to Zotus City Development Group, representatives of the company, the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) and the Ghanzi Land Board recently conducted a working visit to the proposed site to assess plots, farms, boreholes and existing infrastructure. The exercise also included consultations with affected landholders and is expected to help shape compensation arrangements.
The project is planned at Junction 44 along the Trans-Kalahari Corridor, which links Botswana with Namibia and South Africa and provides access to the port of Walvis Bay.
Zotus City is proposed as a multi-sector development covering logistics, aviation, manufacturing, renewable energy, technology, financial services and tourism.
The findings from the current land exercise are expected to inform subsequent technical studies, environmental assessments, master planning and the project’s application for Special Economic Zone status.
The land assessment follows earlier steps towards securing the site. In February 2026, Zotus City Development Group said it had received formal correspondence from BITC concerning the allocation of more than 4,000 hectares at Junction 44.
The Botswana government later told Parliament in August that the Ghanzi Land Board had provisionally allocated the land to BITC, which would hold it in trust for the project. The government also said the application for Special Economic Zone status was still under consideration.
In October 2025, Zotus City Development Group, the Ghanzi District Council and BITC signed a memorandum covering the proposed land transfer.
The development has been presented as part of Botswana’s effort to diversify its economy beyond diamonds into trade, tourism, technology, renewable energy and industrial activity.
The project’s location is intended to support its proposed logistics role. The Trans-Kalahari Corridor connects Botswana with Namibia and South Africa and provides access to Namibia’s Atlantic coast through Walvis Bay. The current land work does not complete the approvals required for the project. Zotus City’s documentation states that land arrangements, Special Economic Zone designation, licensing, incentives, financing and implementation remain subject to applicable approvals and final documentation.
The developer’s proposed master plan includes an airport-anchored development with logistics and trade facilities, industrial and manufacturing areas, renewable-energy infrastructure, technology and innovation facilities, tourism and other services. It also includes an indicative 300 MW renewable-energy platform.
The Botswana government told Parliament in August that the project could generate more than 20,000 jobs if successfully implemented. The employment figure remains a projection rather than a confirmed outcome, while the proposed energy capacity is also subject to the project’s technical studies, financing and final development plans.
Financing is another stage still to be completed. BITC has said it conducted due diligence on Zotus Group before the project advanced and described the company as credible.
The investment agency has also said Zotus has engaged two large investment banks and sovereign wealth facilities, although their identities have not been disclosed because of confidentiality agreements. No final financing commitments or financial close have been publicly announced.
By Cynthia Ebot Takang
Source: https://shorturl.at/KdJKa
