News & Events

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) has opened a call for submissions of WSIS related projects to contest for WSIS Prizes 2018. The contest is open to entities representing Governments, Private Sector, International and Regional Institutions, Civil Society and Academia. 

The WSIS 2018 contest was developed to create an effective mechanism to evaluate and recognize individuals, governments, civil society, local, regional and international agencies, research institutions and private-sector companies for outstanding success in implementing development oriented strategies that leverage the power of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) as an enabler of the development.

The WSIS 2018 contest serves to identify and showcase the success stories across the WSIS Action Lines defined in the Geneva Plan of Action and Sustainable Development Goals. For more information about WSIS visit http://www.itu.int/net4/wsis/prizes/2017/.

To submit projects, stakeholders are requested to complete the submission form for WSIS Prizes 2018 online at the following link:

http://www.itu.int/net4/wsis/prizes/2018/#sform

The period for submission is from 11 September 2017 to 02 January 2018.
All entities submitting their projects for the WSIS Prizes 2018 are also required to submit via email, a summary of the project submission to BOCRA for filing purposes.

For further information or any enquiries, please contact; Meshingo Jack
Tel: +267 3685532
Email: jack@bocra.org.bw 

We are pleased to inform you that BOCRA has received The Golden Key award of being the most open institution in the country.  In the 2017 Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Transparency Report BOCRA has enjoyed recognition on two categories; one being the Website, which was hailed as “professional and aesthetically appealing, with all the tabs showing necessary, comprehensive and up-to-date information” and the other being Requests for Information, which measured the ease of access to information housed by BOCRA.

BOCRA’s swift response to the request and its well-managed website makes it the most open institution in the country among those surveyed. The website is user-friendly and customerfocused. Regularly updated, it hosts almost all the policy documents of the institution as well as other vital information. On their website, BOCRA clearly explains its complaints policy and process. It further provides an electronic feature to allow registering for the complaint. This feature, together with ‘Frequently Asked Questions,’ makes their information easily accessible”

Click here to read the full report.

Innovation, Integration and Inclusion

World Post Day is celebrated each year on 9 October, the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in the Swiss Capital, Bern. It was declared World Post Day by the UPU Congress held in Tokyo, Japan in 1969. Since then, countries across the world participate annually in the celebrations. The Posts in many countries use the event to introduce or promote new postal products and services.

In 2015 countries all over the world committed themselves to working together towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to end extreme poverty and hunger, fight inequality and injustice, and take action to reverse climate change--to name just some of these 17 agreed new Goals. Playing its part in this global effort, the Post today has a more relevant role than ever by providing infrastructure for development.

The public is informed that the telecommunications statistics have been temporarily withdrawn from the website to allow for verification of data presentation.  The information will be re-uploaded once data verification has been completed.  Any inconvenience caused by the absence of statistics is highly regretted.

Call for Expression of Interest. Please download PDF for more details.

Bidders and the public are advised that BOCRA has extended the date of submission of application proposals. Please click here to access the Addendum document

Tender No. BOCRA/PT/005/2017.2018

Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA/the Authority) hereby invites companies with substantial experience to tender for the Provision of Broadcasting Content Monitoring Services.
The Invitation to Tender (ITT) document may be purchased at the BOCRA office by interested companies for a non-refundable fee of P150.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Pula) VAT inclusive. Payment must be made in the form of cash, bank transfer or bank guaranteed cheque. 

Youth companies shall purchase the ITT at 50% of the fee as per Presidential Directive CAB 14 (B)/2015.

Tenders and all supporting documents should be submitted not later than 1200hrs on 21st September 2017 or such other later date as the Authority may advise in writing, to the following address:
Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority
Plot 50671 Independence Avenue Private Bag 00495 Gaborone
Tel: +267 368 5500
Fax: +267 395 7976

Tenders will be opened at 12:05hrs on the 21st September 2017 at the BOCRA offices. Representatives of the bidders and the general public may attend unless otherwise advised in writing by the Authority.

RESERVATION AND PREFERENCE OPTIONS

The successful tenderer is required to subcontract up to 30% percent of the contract to local contractors. 

The BOCRA’s Standardised Conditions of Contract apply to this procurement, which are contained in the tender documents. 

Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing, the Authority is not bound to accept the lowest or any tender offer.

For any further information regarding the tender, contact:

Procuring Officer: Katlego Ramputswa
Tel: 368 5500/3685533  
Contact email: procurement@bocra.org.bw

Click here to download file.

Established through the Communications Regulatory Authority Act, 2012 (CRA Act) on the 1st of April 2013, Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority

(BOCRA) exists to regulate the communications sector in Botswana. Its mandate includes oversight and regulation of service provision in telecommunications, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Internet, broadcasting and radio communications as well as postal services and related matters.

Following the Board’s approval, BOCRA will be issuing 4 television broadcasting licences on Friday 23rd June at 10am, the licensees;

Satellite Television Broadcasting Services - Ovy Network (Pty) Ltd Alfaview (Pty) Ltd;

Free to Air Satellite Television - Clouds TV; and

Subscription Management Service - Econet Media. 

The three classes of licenses that we will be issuing are as follows

1. Content License – Subscription Satellite Television
2. Content License – Free to Air Satellite Television
3. Subscription Management Service

The Satellite Television license will enable the service provider to provide broadcasting content over satellite either as a single channel or a bouquet of channels. The channel(s) could produced inhouse by the broadcaster or sourced from other broadcasting entinties and packaged into a bouquet. The service may be offered on subscription basis or free to air. The licensees are responsible for all the regulatory obligations pertaining the content provided.

Subscription Management Service License is the license that is given to a service provider whose sole responsibility is to enable consumers to access broadcasting content that is packaged and transmitted by another broadcasting entity.

More players receive television licences

Four new companies today received licences from Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) to provide television services under Subscription Management Service (SMS), Subscription Satellite Television Service and Free to Air Satellite Television Service categories.  Ovy Network (Pty) Ltd; Alfaview (Pty) Ltd, DeepVibe Productions T/A Clouds TV and Econet Media Botswana T/A Kwese TV are the new players to enter the Botswana television broadcast market.

Alfaview, Ovy and Clouds TV will operate as Satellite Television Service providers broadcasting content as a single channel or several channels aggregated into a bouquet.  The broadcast content could be locally produced by the broadcaster or commissioned from third parties in a form of a full channel or a packaged programme.  The licensees will carry all the broadcasting obligations including responsibility over suitability of broadcast material for Botswana audience. Alfaview and Ovy will provide the service to the consumers on subscription basis, while Clouds TV will provide a free to air service.

Econet Botswana will operate a subscription management television service.  Its responsibility will be to enable consumers to access broadcasting content that is packaged and transmitted by another broadcasting entity operating from outside Botswana.

Addressing himself to the new licensees, Acting Chief Executive of BOCRA Mr Tshoganetso Kepaletswe urged new entrants to make a strategic shift towards creating their own high quality local content. “Creation of local content is vital in a society as it provides material that is relevant to the audience. It is through the local content that our broadcasters can showcase abundant talent and creativity as well showcase our rich cultural diversity”.

The four licensees join two others in the names of Star Times and Mediacore Botswana (Pty) Ltd who received their licences on 19 April 2017.  Once in full operation, the licensees are expected to improve the broadcasting services by offering consumers diversity of choice and plurality of content. 

For Further Information contact:

Aaron Nyelesi

Deputy Director Corporate Communications