Botswana time now, live flip clock
The time in Botswana is Central Africa Time, CAT, UTC+2, across the whole country. Its clocks do not change. The clock above shows Botswana's time live, with seconds.
Time zone in Botswana
Gaborone, Francistown, Maun and Kasane all keep the same time.
- CAT, UTC+2
- Not observed
- Gaborone
How many hours ahead or behind Botswana
On 7 October 2026, Johannesburg is on the same time as Botswana.
| City | Difference from Botswana |
|---|---|
| Johannesburg | Same time |
| Brussels | Same time |
| London | 1 hour behind |
| New York | 6 hours behind |
| Dubai | 2 hours ahead |
| Kolkata | 3 hours 30 minutes ahead |
| Shanghai | 6 hours ahead |
| Your time zone | Detected after this page loads |
Convert a time between any two placesDaylight saving dates around the world
How Botswana's clock lines up with its neighbours
- Four countries, one point, one clock
- 4
- Botswana's government says four countries meet at one point in the Zambezi River. They are Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia. All four keep the same clock time. So crossing between them there does not move the clock.
- South Africa uses another name
- SAST
- Botswana and South Africa show the same time. South Africa's national metrology institute calls it South African Standard Time. The time zone database names Botswana's time Central Africa Time, CAT. It says that name is common north of South Africa. Botswana's government gives only the gap from Greenwich.
- Namibia dropped its winter hour
- CAT
- Namibia used to set its clocks back an hour each winter. In those months Windhoek ran an hour behind Gaborone. A newer Namibian law set one standard time and repealed the old one. Since then the two capitals keep the same clock through the year.
Questions about time in Botswana
What time zone is Botswana in?
Botswana is on Central Africa Time, CAT, UTC+2, across the whole country. Gaborone, Francistown, Maun and Kasane all show the same time. Botswana's government gives the zone only as its gap from Greenwich. The name Central Africa Time comes from the time zone database. The clocks do not change during the year.
Does Botswana have daylight saving time?
No. Botswana stays on CAT, UTC+2 through the year and does not change its clocks. Britain and most of the US do change theirs. So a weekly call set in Gaborone time lands an hour later on London's clock in the British summer. The same happens on New York's clock in the American summer.
Is Botswana on the same time as South Africa?
Yes. Johannesburg is on the same time as Gaborone through the whole year. Neither country changes its clocks. South Africa calls its time South African Standard Time, SAST. Botswana's zone is Central Africa Time, CAT. The names differ, but a trip across the border needs no change to a watch.
What is the time difference between Botswana and the UK?
London is 2 hours behind Botswana in the British winter. In the British summer the gap narrows to one hour. The UK moves its clocks forward then, and Botswana does not. So London's working day starts in Gaborone's late morning in winter and its mid-morning in summer.
What is the time difference between Botswana and India?
India is 3 hours 30 minutes ahead of Botswana, and the gap holds all year. Neither country changes its clocks. In one monthly trade digest from Statistics Botswana, India took more than a tenth of Botswana's exports, almost all diamonds. So a standing call with Mumbai or Delhi keeps the same slot in every season.
Time zone names for developers
| IANA zone | Standard time | Daylight saving time |
|---|---|---|
| Africa/Maputo | CAT, UTC+2 | No |
Sources
We checked each fact on this page against these sources on 1 October 2026. Times, offsets and clock changes come from the time zone database.