Indian emigrants to Botswana primarily come from the states of Gujarat, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
Initially engaged in general trading, they gradually built up big businesses by purchasing dealerships for international products, and also successfully investing in property.
[2] The discovery of diamonds and their mining from the late 1960s saw the beginning of a sustained economic boom in Botswana.
Both professionals and businessmen arrived there from several African countries, especially South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and even from Kenya and Uganda.
Botswana's government does not encourage immigration of foreign labour, but with its shortage of skilled manpower, it started recruiting Indian experts directly from India from the late 1980s – teachers, doctors, engineers and civil servants..