The distances are the job
Glaziers in Botswana cover long stretches of the A1 and A3. A job in the north is a full day from Gaborone, and coverage between towns can be patchy.
| Route | Approximate road distance |
|---|---|
| Gaborone – Palapye | about 270 km |
| Gaborone – Francistown | about 435 km |
| Francistown – Maun | about 480 km |
| Gaborone – Maun | about 855 km |
Approximate distances by the main roads; check your route.
Get the survey right first time
When the site is hours away, a missed measurement or a forgotten photo means another day on the road. Capture everything on the first visit: every opening measured and drawn, photos of each one and of the access, and notes on what the fitting team will need. Then the quote, the glass order and the fitting all work from the same information.
Make each trip count
Group work by area: when a job is ready, look at what else is ready nearby before booking the trip, and fit a survey in on the way. Confirm the day with the customer before the van leaves, so nobody drives four hours to a locked gate.
VAT basics in Botswana
VAT in Botswana is administered by the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS). The standard rate is 14% — it went back to 14% on 1 April 2023 after a temporary cut to 12% — and the new VAT Act that took effect on 1 July 2026 kept that rate. Check the detail with BURS or your accountant.
Where Coglass fits
Coglass is built for work spread over long distances:
- Surveys on the phone. Each opening is measured, drawn and photographed, with notes, GPS and the access level — and it works with no signal, syncing when you are back in coverage.
- A planner for spread-out work. Drag surveys, fittings and deliveries onto people and vans, and see which ready jobs are near the day's other stops, scored by driving distance rather than a straight line.
- Customers know when you are coming. Booking confirmations and on-the-way messages can go out by email, and customers can follow their job on a tracking page on their phone.
- Xero. Invoices, payments and supplier bills push to your Xero organisation, coded to the accounts and tax rates you choose from your own Xero settings — your returns are then done in Xero.
Want to see it on your own jobs? Book a demo or see pricing in BWP.
Sources
- Botswana Unified Revenue Service
- PwC tax summaries — Botswana, other taxes
- KPMG — Botswana tax measures enacted (July 2026)
- A1 road (Botswana)
- A3 road (Botswana)
This page explains the rules in general terms. Standards and tax rules change, and how they apply depends on the job — check the source, your building control body or your accountant before relying on it.