How to start a security company in Botswana: a security services guide

The law: Private Security Services Act, 2015 (Act 11 of 2015). The body: Private Security Services Licensing Board, under the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security; applications go to the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security in Gaborone. In force: Parts I and II from 1 October 2016, Parts III to V from 1 April 2020. Last checked: 21 October 2026

This guide is for Botswana nationals planning to start a guarding, alarm, investigation or close protection business. It sets out the order of work, the documents the ministry lists and the rules that cost operators their licences.

Trading without a licence is an offence, and the definition is wider than guarding

Section 16 of the Act says no person may establish or carry on the business of providing private security services unless the Private Security Services Licensing Board has issued a licence. Anyone who breaks the rule faces a fine of up to P50,000 or imprisonment for up to twelve months, or both.

The Private Security Services Act defines a private security service broadly. It covers protecting people or property, giving security advice, installing or repairing security equipment, monitoring alarm signals, acting as a locksmith or private investigator, and giving security training. If your company will perform any of these services, treat the licence as a first step and not an afterthought.

The government service page lists six licence categories:

Category	What the page calls it
1	Security Guard Services
2	Specialist Security Services
3	Close Protection Services
4	Electronic Security Services
5	Private Investigator Services
6	Security Advisory Services

Anyone who wants to work as a guard applies separately for a Security Guard Certificate from the same Board. That is a personal certificate and it is separate from the company licence.

How to start a security company in Botswana: register with CIPA first, with SECURITY in the name

The ministry’s page says a citizen must first register a company with the Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA) with the word SECURITY in the company name. Only then can it apply for the private security services licence.

CIPA’s published fees are P20 to reserve a name and P360 to register a private or public limited company online. Under s.29 of the Companies Act a company cannot be registered under a name that has not been reserved.

We check the name with CIPA and reserve it for you. How to choose and reserve a company name with CIPA explains the CIPA rules on endings, refusals and the reservation period.

How to register a private company in Botswana, step by step walks through the registration itself. Plan the tax side early, because the ministry asks for a tax clearance certificate and says companies that fail BURS requirements such as tax returns are not considered. In Brimco’s practice the bank account comes first and tax registration follows, as How to open a business bank account for a new Botswana company and How to register a new company for tax with BURS describe.

Directors must be Botswana nationals with no criminal record, and the Private Security Services Licensing Board checks

The ministry page says only citizens of Botswana with no criminal record can apply for a licence as a director. Directors of a private company should be registered with CIPA and hold a valid Omang. Certified copies are required of each document.

The page lists these supporting documents:

• A certified copy of a valid Omang.
• The certificate of incorporation or business registration certificate, and a tax clearance certificate.
• A list of company directors, and a curriculum vitae for each director.
• A set of fingerprints, available at any police station, and a passport-sized photograph.
• Form A (the application form), Form B (a statutory declaration about convictions) and a completed security clearance form.
• Evidence of operating systems.

Section 18 of the Act tells the Private Security Services Licensing Board to consult the Commissioner of Police before it decides. Once licensed, a licensee, partner or director convicted of an offence punishable by six months or more in prison, or facing criminal proceedings, must tell the Private Security Services Licensing Board in writing at once (s.23).

A security company licence takes about four months, and you apply for it in person

The ministry says to submit original completed forms and the supporting documents in person at its headquarters in Gaborone. It notes that applicants are told by telephone whether they succeeded. The page estimates the process at about 4 months.

The government service page lists the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security at Square Building, Plot 54355, CBD, Gaborone (Private Bag 00384), tel. (267) 369 8200 or 369 8300. Opening hours are 7:30 to 12:45 and 13:45 to 16:30, Monday to Friday, except public holidays.

The licence expires every year, and the page says it is the holder’s duty to apply for renewal with the same documents. Build a renewal date into the company calendar, and treat a late renewal as a compliance risk (see The annual compliance calendar for a Botswana private company for the other dates a company carries).

A refusal is not final. Under s.25 a person aggrieved by a decision not to issue or renew a licence, to suspend or cancel it, or to grant a permission may appeal in writing to the Appeals Committee within 30 days of being told.

Application fees are prescribed by regulation (s.35). A Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security public notice of 25 November 2020 told members of the public that full implementation of the Private Security Services Act took effect on 1 November 2020, and listed these prescribed fees from that date:

Service	Fee
Application fee for each licence	P1,000
Annual renewal fee	P500
Transfer of licence	P1,000
Application for a Security Guard Certificate	P200
Amendment of licence	P500

These are the 2020 figures; confirm them with the licensing officers before you submit anything.

In April 2024 the ministry said the Private Security Services Licensing unit had digitalised its processes and that all registered security companies were expected to re-register online. The government service page still describes in-person submission, so ask the unit which route is used for a new application.

Public security contracts are reserved for citizen-owned companies

PPRA (formerly PPADB) keeps a codes list for suppliers. In the version effective 16 March 2026, the Security Services category is marked 100% citizen for all its codes. The sub-codes are security guard, specialist security, close protection, electronic security, private investigation and security advisory services.

Those six names match the six licence categories above, so a licence and a PPRA code line up one for one. How to choose PPRA codes for your business explains how to choose codes, and Tendering in Botswana: a supplier’s guide to PPRA registration, codes and bids covers the wider tendering route.

The Act also lets the Minister reserve security trades and areas for citizens by regulation, and lets the Private Security Services Licensing Board approve a joint venture between a citizen and a non-citizen provider (s.22). We did not read any such regulations, so check the current position with the ministry before you plan a joint venture.

Pay, insurance and conduct rules are where licences are lost

The Private Security Services Licensing Board may order suspension of a licence provisionally or for a set period where it is in the public interest (s.24). It may cancel one for a conviction, a breach of licence conditions, an unpaid judgment debt or false information.

In January 2024 the Private Security Services Licensing Board suspended 11 operating licences for non-compliance, and the licensing unit’s acting director cited failure to pay salaries.

On pay, a November 2025 report from the government news agency said the minimum wage for security guards and cleaners was P9.06 per hour under Statutory Instrument No. 7 of 2024, or P2,120.04 per month as normal pay.

The same report said government was reviewing the instrument with the aim of raising the minimum to P4,000. In July 2026 the government told Parliament that economic conditions did not yet support a P4,000 minimum wage in the private sector, so P9.06 per hour remained the statutory rate. Confirm the current figure with the labour authorities before you cost a contract.

The Act adds four conduct rules:

• A licensee needs the Private Security Services Licensing Board’s written permission to employ a guard with a conviction involving dishonesty or pending criminal proceedings (s.20).
• A licensee must issue each guard an identity card, and the guard must carry it on duty (s.30).
• A licensee may not act as a debt collector or present itself as working with the police (s.32).
• A licensee must take insurance cover for damage or loss of property sustained by a person provided with security services (s.34).

Worked example. A company plans 10 guards on a single client site at the minimum rate quoted above. Ten guards at P2,120.04 each come to P21,200.40 a month in basic pay, before the client’s rate card, uniforms, identity cards, insurance and supervision are counted. A contract priced under that figure cannot meet the minimum.

A short order of work avoids a second application

1. Confirm every director is a Botswana national with a clean record and a valid Omang.
2. Pick the licence categories, then a company name carrying the word SECURITY.
3. Reserve the name and register the company with CIPA.
4. Register for tax and obtain a tax clearance certificate.
5. Collect fingerprints, photographs, CVs and the three forms, and certify the copies.
6. Apply at the headquarters in Gaborone, then diarise the renewal for twelve months after issue.

This article is general information, not legal advice. The Act is read as published on the botswanalaws.com consolidated page, and fees, forms and processing times can change, so confirm them with the Private Security Services Licensing Unit before you file.

Brimco’s company registration service can reserve your SECURITY name and register the private security services company with CIPA, and our corporate governance services keep the annual filings on track.

Questions

How much does it cost to register a company in Botswana?

CIPA’s published OBRS fees are P20 to reserve a name and P360 to register a private company online. The government’s private security services licence page lists P1,000 for a successful application and P500 for the annual renewal; confirm current figures with the ministry.

How much is a security guard paid in Botswana?

A November 2025 Botswana Daily News report put the minimum wage for security guards at P9.06 per hour, or P2,120.04 per month, under Statutory Instrument No. 7 of 2024. In July 2026 the government said a P4,000 private-sector minimum was not yet affordable.

What qualifications do you need for private security?

Each guard needs a Security Guard Certificate from the Private Security Services Licensing Board. Company directors must be Botswana citizens with no criminal record, fingerprints and a valid Omang.

Who can apply for a private security licence in Botswana?

The ministry’s service page says only citizens of Botswana with no criminal record can apply as a director of a private security company. Directors need a valid Omang, and companies that have not met BURS requirements, such as filing tax returns, are not considered.

Does the company name have to include the word security?

Yes, according to the ministry’s service page. A citizen must register a company with CIPA with the word SECURITY in the name before applying for the licence. Name rules in the Companies Act are still in force, so reserve the name first.

How long does a security licence take in Botswana?

The ministry’s page says approximately 4 months. Applicants submit originals at the ministry headquarters and are told the result by telephone. The licence expires annually and the holder must apply for renewal with the same documents.

Can a foreigner own a security company in Botswana?

The ministry page limits applications to citizens, and PPRA marks its security codes 100% citizen. The Act allows the Licensing Board to approve a joint venture between a citizen and a non-citizen provider (s.22). Ask the ministry which conditions it will set.

What happens if a security company breaks the rules?

The Board can suspend or cancel the licence under s.24 of the Act. Operating without a licence carries a fine of up to P50,000 or up to twelve months in prison, or both. Anyone aggrieved by a Board decision has 30 days to appeal.