Everything You Need to Know About E-Invoicing in Botswana
Electronic invoicing will become mandatory in Botswana starting in March 2026. This measure follows a three-year pilot program that concluded in March 2025. During this pilot phase, the authorities tested a digital invoicing system that enabled each commercial transaction to be reported online to the national tax authority establishing the framework for a future real-time reporting system.
The Botswanan government launched a pilot e-invoicing project that ran for three years, ending in March 2025. This initiative involved digitizing the invoicing process and submitting each invoice in real time to the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS), the country’s tax authority.
The full rollout of the e-invoicing system was officially announced during the 2025/2026 Budget Speech before the National Assembly. In February 2025, the Minister of Finance presented the development of an Electronic VAT Invoicing Solution as part of the country’s tax modernization efforts. This announcement confirmed that e-invoicing would move from the pilot stage to a nationwide mandate.
Botswana’s new e-invoicing model will operate under a real-time reporting scheme for VAT-subject transactions. This means that every issued invoice must be immediately recorded in the tax authority’s system, enabling continuous transaction monitoring. According to the announcement, full implementation of the electronic VAT invoicing solution is set for March 2026. From that date onward, all VAT-registered taxpayers will be required to issue e-invoices through the centralized system, ensuring that BURS receives information on every sale in real time. This Continuous Transaction Control (CTC) model is designed to enhance tax compliance by reducing the chance of unreported sales.
Although the decision has been made and the timeline is set, the Botswanan authorities have yet to release the full technical specifications of the new system. The budget announcement did not provide details on the technological platform to be adopted or whether there will be a specific integration model for taxpayers (such as certified providers or direct connections to the BURS portal).
Authorities have mentioned that additional details about the scope of the project and system type are still pending. Over the coming months, more information is expected to be released that will likely cover e-invoice formats, communication standards, taxpayer requirements (such as phases of enforcement, thresholds, etc.), and technical guidelines companies must follow to stay compliant.
Advantages of a Global E-Invoicing Solution
The introduction of mandatory e-invoicing in Botswana highlights the importance of having a global e-invoicing solution that enables you to easily comply with diverse legal requirements. If your company operates across multiple countries or plans to expand internationally, a unified platform like EDICOM’s can significantly simplify management. EDICOM’s global solutions are designed to quickly incorporate new e-invoicing systems as they emerge worldwide, allowing you to adapt your internal processes to each country’s requirements in a streamlined and centralized way.
Partnering with a global provider like EDICOM not only ensures ongoing regulatory compliance in the face of changing laws, but also brings operational benefits: process automation, reduction of manual errors, and real-time invoice visibility. In a global landscape where more and more countries are adopting mandatory e-invoicing, having a worldwide technology partner gives you peace of mind—letting you focus on growing your business while the platform handles all aspects of e-invoicing compliance.
