City atlasBotswana

Francistown

Decide whether to visit or live in Francistown, then explore current conditions, local people, the map, and concise sourced context.

Check visit & living safety

Updated Tuesday, October 27, 2026 · sourced live layer and versioned editorial content

AI-assisted, evidence-constrained research · how this page is made

Building the sourced atlas for FrancistownThe request is queued. Facts and the map remain available while AI research runs.
Live decision desk

Would you visit or live in Francistown?

Choose your plan and circumstances. The result changes immediately using today's advisory, weather, air-quality, and sourced local signals.

Interactive visit / live calculatorHow safe is Francistown for your plan?
82/100
Should I visit Francistown?

Generally suitable with routine precautions

Visitors to Botswana should review official travel advice regarding entry requirements, such as updates concerning entries from Ebola-affected regions.

high source confidence · current planning signal, not a personal-safety guarantee
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See the evidence and calculation
  • No high-severity wording detected in the supplied advisory
  • Latest air-quality reading is not elevated
  • Official travel advice issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office notes new entry requirement updates.

The score combines dated official-advisory wording, weather, air quality, sourced local context, and your selections. It does not predict crime or individual outcomes. Check local authorities and professional advice before a safety-critical decision.

Climate normals · 2016–2025

When to go: Francistown month by month

Judged purely on 2016–2025 weather records, the friendliest months in Francistown are typically May, June and July, with average daytime highs around 23–26°C. October is usually the warmest month (average high 33°C), July the coldest (average low 9°C), and February the wettest (about 134 mm). These are long-run averages, not a forecast.

Monthly averages computed from 2016–2025 Open-Meteo historical weather records for this location. Long-run averages, not a forecast.
MonthAvg high (°C)Avg low (°C)Rain (mm)Sunshine (h/day)
January29.319.510910.8
February29.019.413410.1
March28.818.13310.7
April27.715.81410.3
May25.512.0510.3
June23.09.429.8
July23.08.8210.0
August27.211.9110.6
September31.015.4111.3
October32.617.9811.3
November32.119.54611.0
December30.819.910010.7

Google News pulse · checked with SearXNG

What is being reported around Francistown

Fresh candidates come from Google News, are independently matched in SearXNG, then rewritten by the AI pool without copying article prose. Open the original publisher coverage through Google News.

No recent story passed both checks.

Google News and SearXNG were refreshed, but no relevant report from the last 30 days had enough corroborating detail to rewrite safely. The widget will check again on the next refresh.

Reader Travel & Livability Pulse

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Current local index

People and places shaping Francistown

AI-assisted local research, regenerated with the dated live layer. Every requested module remains visible; facts appear only after a source check, and unavailable categories explain what is still being researched.

Research updated Sunday, October 18, 2026
Dates that matter

Past and future events in Francistown

Future · verified dates only

Upcoming

No future event in Francistown currently has a sufficiently reliable date and source. This is checked again on every refresh.

Past · documented context

Previously

  1. Documented history · 1867

    Moffat was followed in 1867 by a gold prospector, Karl Mauch who found the Bakalanga mining gold along the Tati River, and publicised the Tati Goldfields starting the first Southern Africa goldrush.

  2. Documented history · 1897

    The present town was founded in 1897 as a settlement near the Monarch mine and named after Daniel Francis, an English prospector from Liverpool who acquired prospecting licences in the region in 1869.

  3. Documented history · 1869

    When gold was discovered nearby in 1869 it sparked the first gold rush in Africa fifteen years before the gold boom at Witwatersrand in South Africa.

  4. Documented history · 1936

    Between 1936 and 1980s, the economy of Francistown was largely supported or dependent on the Witwatersrand Native Labour Association, a company that recruited labour for South African mines.

  5. Gold Discovery and Rush

    Gold was discovered nearby in 1869, sparking the first gold rush in Africa.

Current public leadership

People associated with this place

  • Caine Youngman

    A human rights activist and member of the LGBT rights movement born in Francistown, who gained international attention in 2011.

Historical figures

  • Daniel Francis

    English prospector from Liverpool whom Francistown was named after.

  • Karl Mauch

    Gold prospector who found the Bakalanga mining gold along the Tati River in 1867.

Local business and employers

  • Water Utilities Corporation

    Structured data records this business as headquartered in Francistown. Government-owned corporation dealing with issues involving water in Botswana.

Newspapers and local media

  • The Voice

    A popular tabloid newspaper founded in 1993 with operations based in Francistown and Gaborone.

Buildings and landmarks

Sources checked (25)

Interactive geography

See Francistown in context

Background library

Keep the deeper context

Stable history, culture, districts, and practical reference remain in the main reading flow while the live layers above continue changing.

01 · Overview

Francistown, in brief

Francistown is mapped here through verified geographic facts and source-linked daily data. Its longer editorial profile is in the enrichment queue.

02 · History

How Francistown took shape

This section is being expanded from verified sources. Current facts, weather, mapping, and official links remain available while editorial review continues.

03 · Visit

Visiting Francistown

This section is being expanded from verified sources. Current facts, weather, mapping, and official links remain available while editorial review continues.

04 · Food & culture

Food and everyday culture in Francistown

This section is being expanded from verified sources. Current facts, weather, mapping, and official links remain available while editorial review continues.

05 · Arts

Arts and cultural life in Francistown

This section is being expanded from verified sources. Current facts, weather, mapping, and official links remain available while editorial review continues.

06 · Economy

Work and the economy in Francistown

This section is being expanded from verified sources. Current facts, weather, mapping, and official links remain available while editorial review continues.

07 · Safety

Safety and practical guidance for Francistown

This section is being expanded from verified sources. Current facts, weather, mapping, and official links remain available while editorial review continues.

08 · Questions

Questions about Francistown

This section is being expanded from verified sources. Current facts, weather, mapping, and official links remain available while editorial review continues.

Atlas FAQ Desk

Frequently Asked Questions about Francistown

Essential geographic, demographic, currency, and travel context verified from primary records.

01 · Q&A

Where is Francistown located and what are its coordinates?

Francistown is situated in Botswana at geographic coordinates -21.1700, 27.5078, with an elevation monitored in regional geographic surveys.

02 · Q&A

What is the population and time zone of Francistown?

Francistown has a recorded population of approximately 103,417 and observes the Africa/Gaborone time zone.

03 · Q&A

What languages and currency are used in Francistown?

Official and commonly spoken languages in Francistown include EN-BW, TN-BW, with BWP used for local transactions.

04 · Q&A

How can I check live conditions and daily updates for Francistown?

Today's Atlas provides continuous tracking for Francistown, featuring real-time weather conditions, daylight cycles, local geographic signals, and verified daily briefs.

Nearby atlas

Continue beyond Francistown