First National Bank of Botswana

What First National Bank of Botswana does

First National Bank of Botswana (FNBB) is a commercial bank incorporated in Botswana as First National Bank of Botswana Limited and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of FirstRand Group, one of Africa's largest financial services conglomerates. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Gaborone, the bank provides a universal banking proposition across retail, SME, corporate, and private client segments, with branches in Gaborone, Francistown, Maun, and Selebi-Phikwe and an ATM, mobile, and contact-center distribution layer.

The product portfolio spans transactional accounts (DigiPlus, cheque accounts, youth and student accounts), mobile money (eWallet and eWallet Bulk Payments), credit cards across four tiers, personal and home loans, vehicle and asset finance, and a savings and investments suite covering call accounts, fixed and flexi deposits, notice deposits, and treasury bills and bonds. Insurance products — funeral, car, home, travel, and debt protection — are distributed through the bank's channels, and Sharia-compliant Islamic Banking and a corporate and investment banking sub-brand via RMB Botswana round out the offering. The technology layer centers on an Online Banking Enterprise platform for business customers, the FNB Banking App with Smart inContact for transaction approval and device verification, and digital value-adds including inContact alerts, First Pay, and Cashback Rewards. No public-facing developer API is documented.

Revenue is generated from transaction and account fees, net interest income on lending and deposits (with a prime lending rate of 6.76% and deposit rates up to 5.32% APR), insurance commissions, foreign exchange spreads, and eWallet transaction fees. The bank is a member of the Deposit Insurance Scheme of Botswana, and its operating scope is exclusively domestic.

Name

First National Bank of Botswana

Legal name

First National Bank of Botswana Limited

Website

https://fnbbotswana.co.bw

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

First National Bank of Botswana is a Gaborone-based commercial bank and wholly-owned subsidiary of FirstRand Group, offering retail, SME, corporate, Islamic, and investment banking products and services across Botswana through branches, digital platforms, and an ATM network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (52211), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221), Commercial Banking (522110)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021), Functions Related To Depository Banking, Nec (6099), Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

A2A Collections & Direct Account Funding (FSAMAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

A2A Checkout & Merchant Acceptance Solutions (FSAMAFAF), A2A Reconciliation, Reporting & Treasury Ops (FSAMAFAJ)

Keywords

• Retail banking services
• Commercial banking
• Consumer lending
• Digital banking
• Corporate finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Gaborone

HQ country

Botswana

HQ region

Africa

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Transaction and Account Fees: Fees charged for account maintenance, transactions, withdrawals, and service usage including ATM fees, online banking fees, and branch service charges.
2. Lending Products: Interest income from personal loans, home loans, vehicle finance, overdrafts, business loans, and credit cards. Interest rates are linked to prime rate.
3. Insurance Products: Commission revenue from insurance products including funeral plans, car insurance, home insurance, travel insurance, and debt protection plans.
4. eWallet Services: Transaction fees for eWallet bulk payments (P7.48 per transaction), prepaid airtime, and electricity purchases through the mobile wallet platform.
5. Investment Products: Interest rate spreads earned on fixed deposits, notice deposits, call accounts, treasury bills and government bonds held in custody.
6. Foreign Exchange Services: Revenue from foreign exchange transactions, international transfers, and forex margins for travel and investment purposes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

First National Bank of Botswana (FNBB) is a universal commercial bank offering transactional accounts, savings and investment products, personal and business lending, credit cards, insurance, foreign exchange, and Sharia-compliant Islamic Banking to individuals, SMEs, corporates, and private clients in Botswana. Distribution is delivered through a multi-channel network of branches, ATMs, web and mobile banking (including the FNB Banking App and Online Banking Enterprise), cellphone banking, and a contact center. The bank is part of the FirstRand Group and operates RMB Botswana for corporate and investment banking services.

Product overview

First National Bank of Botswana (FNBB) operates as a universal bank offering a comprehensive digital-first banking platform with integrated products across personal, business, and corporate segments. The core offering centers on transactional accounts (DigiPlus, eWallet for mobile payments, and cheque accounts) supported by a multi-channel delivery system including Online Banking Enterprise, mobile app, ATM, and branch networks. The investment portfolio includes Call Accounts, Fixed Deposits, Notice Deposits, Flexi Fixed Deposits, and Treasury Bills/Bonds for both retail and business customers. Lending products span personal loans, home mortgages, vehicle finance, and business credit facilities. Insurance products include funeral cover, debt protection, car insurance, home insurance, and travel insurance. Digital value-added services include Smart inContact (secure transaction approval), inContact/First Pay (payments), Cashback Rewards, and Merchant Services. The bank also offers specialized services through sub-brands including Islamic Banking (Sharia-compliant products) and RMB Botswana (corporate/investment banking). The platform architecture integrates with Online Banking Enterprise for business bulk payments and treasury operations, with no public developer API currently documented.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FNB Botswana: Primary brand name used for the Botswana operations of First National Bank.

Products and services

• DigiPlus Account
• eWallet
• eWallet Bulk Payments
• Credit Cards
• Personal Loans
• Home Loans
• Vehicle and Asset Finance
• FirstFunding Employee Loan Scheme
• Call Account
• Fixed Deposit
• Notice Deposit
• Flexi Fixed Deposit
• Treasury Bills and Bonds
• Business Fixed Deposit
• Business Flexi Fixed Deposit
• Business Notice Deposit
• Business Call Deposit
• Commercial Transact Account
• Online Banking Enterprise
• Funeral Plan
• Debt Protection
• Car Insurance
• Home Insurance
• Travel Insurance
• Islamic Banking
• RMB Botswana
• FNBB Mogwebi Insurance
• Foreign Exchange Services
• Merchant Services
• Overdraft
• Business Loan
• Commercial Property Finance
• Purchase Order Finance
• Corporate Finance
• Premium Credit
• Business Credit Card
• Imports and Exports Services
• Custody Services
• Student Account
• Youth Account

Quantifiable outcome

• eWallet Bulk Payments funds made available instantly to recipients
• +2 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered moderate, core, major and minor.

• FNB Kazungula Bridge MarathonmoderateGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021FNB Botswana has been the premier financial partner of the FNB Kazungula Bridge Marathon since 2021. Investment started at P1 million in the inaugural event and increased to P1.5 million the following year, supporting sports tourism connecting Botswana and Zambia.
• RMB BotswanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRMB Botswana is referenced as a corporate entity within the FNB Botswana ecosystem. RMB (Rand Merchant Bank) Botswana provides investment banking and corporate finance services, operating as part of the FirstRand group alongside FNB. The partnership enables FNB to offer comprehensive corporate and investment banking solutions.
• Botswana Football Association (BFA)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerFNB Botswana sponsors the Botswana Football Association with focus on grassroots sports development. The sponsorship supports junior national teams for under-17, under-20, and under-23 girls' and boys' teams, contributing to youth football development at foundational levels.
• BOTESSA (Botswana Tertiary Student Sports Association)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerFNB Botswana provides a three-year P3 million sponsorship to BOTESSA for organizing tertiary-level sports competitions. BOTESSA identifies and develops talent across the nation, providing a platform for athletes to transition to professional sports. The sponsorship includes support for coaches and referees training.
• Botswana National Sports CouncilmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFNB Botswana collaborates with the Botswana National Sports Council to sponsor the FNB Golden Grand Prix athletics competition. FNB contributed over P2 million for the 2023 competition, making it a title sponsor of this prestigious athletics event.
• Gaborone Consumer Electronics and Technology (GCET) ExpominorGTM or Marketing PartnerFNB Botswana sponsors the GCET Expo to promote its brand, showcase digital innovations, and engage with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and technology enthusiasts. The sponsorship reinforces FNB's commitment to digital transformation and technological innovation in banking.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Letshego Financial Services: Botswana-headquartered pan-African financial services group focused on inclusive finance and consumer credit across Southern Africa. Comparable as a Botswana-rooted financial services company with adjacent retail lending and deposit-taking products, though more consumer-credit-focused than full universal banking.

Direct peers

• Standard Chartered Bank Botswana: Full-service commercial bank in Botswana offering retail, business, and corporate banking. Directly comparable as a foreign-bank subsidiary competing for the same retail deposits, corporate lending, and trade finance business in Botswana.
• Absa Bank Botswana: Absa Group subsidiary (formerly Barclays Bank of Botswana) offering universal banking. Comparable as another South African-headquartered group's Botswana franchise with retail, corporate, and wealth offerings.
• Nedbank Botswana: Nedbank Group subsidiary offering retail, business, and corporate banking in Botswana. Comparable as another South African banking group's local franchise competing for similar deposits and corporate relationships.
• Stanbic Bank Botswana: Standard Bank Group subsidiary in Botswana offering personal, business, and corporate banking with a strong digital platform. Closely comparable product mix, customer segments, and South African parent group structure.
• Bank Gaborone: Indigenous Botswana commercial bank offering retail, business, and corporate banking. Directly comparable as a domestic universal bank competing for the same customer base.
• BancABC Botswana: Pan-African banking group subsidiary operating in Botswana with retail and commercial banking. Comparable multi-country regional banking model targeting similar customer segments.
• First Capital Bank Botswana: Botswana-domiciled commercial bank providing personal, business, and corporate banking services. Comparable mid-sized domestic competitor with overlapping product set.

Broad incumbents

• FirstRand Limited: JSE-listed parent of FNB Botswana, FNB South Africa, RMB, and WesBank. Comparable as the broader FirstRand group whose capital allocation, technology development, and strategic priorities directly shape FNB Botswana's trajectory.
• Standard Bank Group: Africa's largest bank by assets and parent of Stanbic Bank Botswana. Comparable as the broader South African banking group whose operating model, technology stack, and pan-African strategy inform FNB's regional competitive dynamics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FNB_Botswana

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about First National Bank of Botswana