Housing
In Gaborone you have a choice of living in a university dorm or a local homestay. For dorm housing, you’ll apply online and the student accommodations office at the University of Botswana will help you make your choice of residence. To arrange a homestay, you’ll complete a form after you apply for the program to help staff match you with a local family.
Dorm
The university has a mix of old and new buildings. You’ll be placed in the newer dormitories, often called Las Vegas by students. The dorms are single sex and comprised of multiple brick buildings. Each floor has common bathrooms and television rooms. You can take your meals in the two dining halls on campus or in local restaurants as there are no cooking facilities in the dorms.
Accommodations
- Shared bedroom
- Shared bathroom
- On campus
- No meal plan
Live with
- International students
- Local students
- UC students
- US students
Commute
The dorm is on campus, so it’s a short walk to your classes.
Homestay
If you choose to stay with a local Botswana family, you’ll have your own room in a Gaborone home. Host families are from a range of social and economic backgrounds, so each homestay will have different living conditions. Some host families set a curfew and others will not. In addition to enjoying at least two home-cooked meals per day, you’ll have access to the kitchen, living room, and other shared spaces in your homestay.
Accommodations
- Private bedroom
- Shared bathroom
- Off campus
- Meal plan (breakfast and dinner weekdays plus lunch on weekends)
Live with
- Local residents
Commute
It will take between 30-45 minutes to get to campus by public buses, called combis. Drivers do not operate on a schedule and will stop along the way to drop off and pick up new riders.