Mechanisim For The Creation and Registration of Companies

Mechanisms to identify and describe the different types forms and basic features of legal persons

Processes for Obtaining and Recording Beneficial Ownership Information

Anti-Money Laundering, Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Countering the Financing of Proliferation (AML/CFT/CPF)

Botswana is committed to protecting the integrity of its financial and corporate systems by implementing effective measures to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing. The country is a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) through its regional body, the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG), and is required to implement internationally recognised standards aimed at preventing financial crime.

The Financial Intelligence Act is Botswana’s primary legislation governing Anti-Money Laundering, Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Countering the Financing of Proliferation (AML/CFT/CPF). The Act establishes the National Coordinating Office, which is responsible for coordinating the national AML/CFT/CPF framework across all obligated entities and promoting a consistent national understanding of these obligations.

As the statutory registry for companies and business entities in Botswana, the Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA) plays a critical role in the country’s AML/CFT/CPF framework. CIPA is responsible for the collection and maintenance of both basic company information and beneficial ownership information for all companies incorporated in Botswana. This responsibility supports compliance with Recommendation 24 of the FATF Standards, which requires countries to ensure that adequate, accurate and up-to-date beneficial ownership information on legal persons is available to competent authorities in a timely manner.

In 2025, CIPA was further entrusted with the responsibility of supervising Company Service Providers (CSPs), in line with Recommendation 28 of the FATF Standards. This supervisory role strengthens oversight of Company Service Providers (company secretaries) and enhances Botswana’s efforts to mitigate the risks of money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing within the corporate sector.

The evolving nature of financial crimes requires strong legal and regulatory frameworks, effective supervision and close collaboration between competent authorities, reporting entities and the private sector. CIPA continues to strengthen its AML/CFT/CPF framework through the implementation of the Companies Act, compliance with the Financial Intelligence Act, and alignment with the FATF Recommendations. These efforts contribute to greater corporate transparency, improved regulatory compliance and the protection of Botswana’s financial system from abuse.