Travel safety comparison · Africa
Botswana vs South Africa: safety comparison
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Side-by-side safety comparison of Botswana and South Africa for 2026: risk scores, FCDO and US State Department advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ legal status, and the practical decision between the two.
Botswana carries a materially lower safety risk than South Africa on the composite Warnely score: 24/100 against 44/100, a gap of 20 points. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Botswana scores 2/5 against South Africa's 5/5. Drug law diverges sharply: Botswana carries a tier-severe regime against South Africa's more permissive framework.
| 🇧🇼Botswana | 🇿🇦South Africa | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 24 / 100 | 44 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Exercise Normal Caution | Exercise Increased Caution |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) | Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #43 | #124 |
| Drug law | Severe (long sentences) | Moderate |
| Women's safety rating | Exercise Caution | Exercise Caution |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | legal | marriage |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | BWP | ZAR |