- Botswana is engaging Dangote Refinery, Angola and Côte d’Ivoire to diversify fuel imports and reduce supply risks.
- The country is also exploring alternative supply routes through Mozambique and Namibia, alongside a proposed $3.5 billion regional petroleum pipeline.
Botswana is engaging Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery as it seeks alternative fuel suppliers and routes to reduce supply risks.
The landlocked southern African country is also in talks with suppliers in Angola and Côte d’Ivoire.
Bogolo Kenewendo, Botswana’s Minister of Minerals and Energy, disclosed the discussions in an interview with Bloomberg in Gaborone.
“Because we are clear that we never want to have any fuel insecurity, we’ve engaged Dangote, we’ve engaged Angola, we’ve engaged Cote d’Ivoire to ensure that they can supply us,” Kenewendo said.
Botswana imports all its refined petroleum products. This exposes its fuel supply to international price volatility and disruptions along regional shipping and distribution routes.
The US-Iran war has disrupted crude oil shipments and pushed up global energy prices. Consequently, governments are exploring alternative suppliers and transportation routes.
Kenewendo said Botswana had diversified its supply routes through Mozambique and Namibia. However, she noted that both routes require adequate coastal storage facilities.
“We have diversified our routes to Mozambique and to Namibia, and in order for those routes to work properly, we need to have good storage facilities, coastal storage facilities, in both areas,” she said.
Botswana has also secured a supply arrangement with Oman. OQ Trading delivered its first diesel shipment to the country through Mozambique’s Port of Matola on October 9.
The government is also exploring supplies through a proposed petroleum pipeline Dangote plans to develop across Southern Africa.
The proposed 2,650-kilometre network would link Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. Dangote plans to invest more than $3.5 billion in the project.
The pipeline is expected to strengthen refined petroleum distribution across the region. It would also provide alternative supply routes for countries that depend heavily on imports.
Dangote Expands Petroleum Distribution Across Africa
Botswana’s interest comes as Dangote expands beyond refining into petroleum transportation and distribution infrastructure across Africa.
The Nigerian industrialist is pursuing pipeline and storage investments in several African markets. These include a $327 million acquisition of a 25 per cent stake in Kenya’s petroleum products pipeline network.
Other projects include a distribution corridor linking Djibouti to Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, and a pipeline project in Cameroon.
The expansion aims to connect Dangote Refinery’s output to more African markets. It also seeks to reduce logistical barriers to cross-border petroleum trade.
The refinery has supplied refined petroleum products to Ghana, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon and Tanzania.
Nigeria’s growing role in regional fuel supply is reflected in its petroleum exports. In the second quarter of 2026, seaborne petroleum product exports averaged 561,000 barrels per day.
This compared with an annual average of 79,000 barrels per day in 2023. Exports to African markets also increased to nearly 120,000 barrels per day.
The figure rose from 89,000 barrels per day in 2025.
African countries are seeking to reduce their exposure to international energy market disruptions. They are also exploring alternatives to established import routes.
However, importing countries’ access to these supplies will depend on competitive prices and transportation costs. Storage and distribution infrastructure will also affect their ability to receive fuel.