What to do if someone dies in Botswana

If a British National Dies in Botswana

Call the British High Commission Gaborone emergency line immediately. Botswana is a Commonwealth country. English is the official business language. The High Commission has experience with safari-destination deaths, including the logistical challenges of Okavango Delta evacuations.

Then contact a specialist repatriation company with African safari experience. Ask directly whether they have handled Botswana cases. The Okavango Delta logistics are specific.

Step 1: Confirm the Location

Gaborone: Princess Marina Hospital forensic post-mortem. Documentation in Gaborone. Straightforward.

Maun / Okavango Delta: Maun is the gateway town. Okavango Delta concessions have no road access. Deaths in the delta require charter aircraft or helicopter evacuation to Maun Airport before anything else.

Kasane / Chobe: Kasane Hospital has basic capacity. Complex cases transfer to Francistown or Gaborone.

Other locations: contact the High Commission to confirm the nearest facility.

Step 2: Okavango Delta Evacuation

Deaths in the Okavango Delta are the most logistically demanding cases in Botswana. The delta is accessible only by small aircraft, mokoro (dugout canoe), or motorboat.

When a death occurs in a private bush camp or mobile safari camp:

1. The safari operator alerts Maun via radio or satellite phone.
2. A charter aircraft or medevac helicopter is dispatched to the nearest airstrip.
3. The body is evacuated to Maun Airport.
4. Post-mortem is conducted at Maun Hospital (basic capability) or the body transfers to Gaborone.

Airstrip quality varies across delta concessions. Some camps have sealed strips; others have grass strips that close in rain. Allow 24 to 96 hours for evacuation from remote delta locations.

Step 3: Report the Death

Deaths in Botswana are reported to the Botswana Police Service. The death certificate is issued by the Registrar General. For unnatural deaths, the police take jurisdiction and refer to the Department of Forensic Pathology at Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone.

Step 4: Documentation and Export Permit

Required documents:

• Death certificate from the Registrar General
• Botswana Police Service investigation report for unnatural deaths
• Post-mortem report from Princess Marina Hospital if required
• Ministry of Health export permit
• Embalming certificate

All documents are in English.

Step 5: Routing to the UK

Botswana is landlocked. All international cargo routes via Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in South Africa. British Airways and South African Airways operate nonstop London Heathrow services from JNB.

Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE) in Gaborone has direct connections to Johannesburg. The Gaborone-Johannesburg-London Heathrow routing is the standard pathway.

Pre-book cargo capacity at Johannesburg before confirming departure dates.