Francistown

Accommodation | Activities | Restaurants | Business Directory

Geography and History

Francistown, found in the North-East District of Botswana, is Botswana's second-largest urban centre and is known as the "Capital of the North". It was the centre of South Africa's first gold rush, and is still surrounded by old and abandoned mines.

The city was founded in 1897, as a settlement near the Monarch mine. It is named after Daniel Francis, an English prospector who acquired prospecting licenses in the region in 1869. By the 1940's, however, the gold mining had slowed, and there are only a few of the larger mines still operating today.

The town is at the crossroads of routes between Gaborone and Bulawayo and of Maun and Kazungula, and is ideally located for forays into the Makgadilikgadi Pans.

Accommodation

Accommodation facilities in Francistown include several Hotels, Lodges and Guest Houses

Activities/ Attractions

Things to do in Francistown include the following:

Many sporting clubs host different weekend events that are eye-catching to any age group.
There are several night clubs in Francistown catering for the night owls.
Bird watching
Arts and crafts
Museum visits
Game drives
Archaeological sites
Historical & cultural tourism
Conferencing.

Businesses

Francistown has a growing business community. It is located on Botswana's main air and road transport routes so mining and agriculture are important business sectors.

Francistown is currently undergoing an economic boom, mostly due to the recent resuscitation of gold mining; this has given new life to the property and transport sectors, with the accompanying infrastructural additions and developments.

Visit our business directory for a list of businesses in Francistown or add your own free business directory listing.