Francistown facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Francistown
City
Top to bottom: Institute of Health Sciences in Francistown CBD, Phillip Gaonwe Matante International Airport, Obed Itani Chilume Stadium
Flag
Francistown Location in Botswana
Country	Botswana
District	North-East District
Founded	1897
Incorporated as a city	1997
Named for	Daniel Francis
Government
• Type	City commission government
• Body	City of Francistown Council
Area
• City	79 km2 (31 sq mi)
Elevation	1,001 m (3,284 ft)
Population  (2022 census)
• City	103,417
• Density	1,309/km2 (3,390/sq mi)
• Metro	147,122
Time zone	UTC+2 (Central Africa Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (not observed)
Geographical area code	2XX
ISO 3166 code	BW-FR
Climate	BSh

Francistown is the second-largest city in Botswana. In 2022, it had about 103,417 people living there. If you count the surrounding areas, the population was around 147,122. The city is in eastern Botswana, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) north-northeast of the capital city, Gaborone.

Francistown is located where the Tati and Ntshe rivers meet. It is also close to the Shashe River, which flows into the Limpopo River. The city is only about 90 kilometers (56 miles) from the border with Zimbabwe.

This area was once the center of Southern Africa's first gold rush. You can still find old, unused mines around the city. Francistown is its own administrative district, separate from the North-East District. The Francistown City Council manages the city.

The main language spoken in Francistown is Kalanga. Other languages you might hear include isiNdebele, ChiShona, and SeTswana. Francistown is special because it is the only city in Botswana with an English name.

History of Francistown

People have lived in the Francistown area for about 10,000 years. However, written records are more recent. Francistown began as a village of the BaKalanga people. This village was well-known for its mining activities. Gold mining was very common in the north-eastern part of Botswana, especially in the Kalanga area.

Early European Visitors

The missionary Robert Moffat was one of the first Europeans to visit a nearby village called Nyangabgwe. Later, in 1867, a gold prospector named Karl Mauch arrived. He found the Bakalanga people mining gold along the Tati River. Mauch shared his discovery, which led to the Tati Goldfields and the first gold rush in Southern Africa.

Founding the City

The city of Francistown was officially founded in 1897. It started as a settlement near the Monarch mine. The city was named after Daniel Francis, an English prospector from Liverpool. He bought licenses to search for minerals in the area in 1869. Francis was a director of the Tati Concessions Company. This company bought the land from King Lobengula.

The center of the new town was created when the company sold 300 plots of land in August 1897. Many people believed Francistown would grow quickly because of the mines. At first, the town had one street next to the railway line. This street had several businesses, including two hotels, shops, and three banks.

Growth and Economy

Before Botswana became independent, Francistown was its largest business center. The city started as a gold mining town. Gold supported the local economy from the late 1800s until the 1930s. Gold was found here in 1869, starting Africa's first gold rush. This was fifteen years before the big gold boom in Witwatersrand in South Africa.

The global economic downturn of the 1930s greatly affected the gold industry. From 1936 to the 1980s, Francistown's economy relied on the Witwatersrand Native Labour Association. This company hired workers for South African mines. Miners from many African countries traveled through Francistown by air or train to reach South Africa.

Haskins Street was the first paved road in Botswana. It was named after an important family in the town. Since 1966, Francistown has grown a lot. This growth is mainly due to trade with Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). In 1997, Francistown became a city, the second in Botswana after Gaborone.

Because the city is on Botswana's main road and rail routes, mining, trade, and farming are very important to its economy. Key economic drivers include Tati Nickel, the Dumela Industrial Complex, and the Botswana Meat Commission. Both government and private businesses help the local economy.

Francistown's Economy

Mining Industry

Francistown is a major transport hub in Botswana. Mining and agriculture are very important here. One main mining company is Tati Nickel, which is owned by Norilsk Nickel. They operate the Selkirk and Phoenix mines, producing cobalt, copper, and nickel.

The Dumela Industrial Complex is a large industrial park that provides many jobs. In 2008, the Botswana Metal Refinery was being built near the city. However, this project was stopped because it was too expensive.

Local Media

The city's media industry is still quite new. It includes Botswana's The Voice newspaper, which started in 1993. This is a very popular tabloid newspaper that also has readers in the capital city, Gaborone.

Climate in Francistown

Francistown has a hot semi-arid climate. This means it has warm to hot summers and mild winters. On average, the city gets about 460 millimeters (18 inches) of rain each year.

Rainfall and Temperatures

The city has a short wet season from December to March. The rest of the year, for eight months, is a long dry season. During the driest months, from June to August, Francistown receives only about 3 millimeters (0.1 inches) of rain. These are also the coldest months. Average low temperatures often drop below 8 degrees Celsius (46 degrees Fahrenheit) during this time.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Francistown was 41.1 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit). The lowest temperature recorded was -6.5 degrees Celsius (20.3 degrees Fahrenheit).

Culture and Attractions

Francistown is home to the Supa Ngwao Museum. This museum has exhibits that show the area's history and heritage. The museum gets most of its money from the government. In October 2011, it was being renovated.

Nature Reserve

A new nature reserve called Tachila has been created. It is about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the center of Francistown. This reserve is on an old farm called Lady Mary. Tachila Nature Reserve is expected to attract tourists with its variety of wild animals.

Places of Worship

Francistown has many places of worship, mostly Christian churches and temples. These include:

• Evangelical Lutheran Church in Botswana (Lutheran World Federation)
• Assemblies of God
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• International Pentecostal Holiness Church
• Christ Embassy
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Francistown (Catholic Church)

Education in Francistown

The city has primary schools in almost all its neighborhoods. Most of these schools are run by the city council. Some of the oldest and most well-known primary schools are Ikhutseng Primary School, Tati Town Primary School, and Nyangabgwe Primary School. Aerodrome Primary School is also here.

Secondary Schools

The government also runs junior high schools, known as "secondary schools." Many of these started as partnerships between the government and the community. The government has recently taken over most of them. Examples include Setlalekgosi, Montsamaisa, and Selepa Junior Secondary Schools. These schools offer a three-year course and provide good education at the Junior Certificate (JC) level.

There are also private schools in the city. One famous and historic school is John Mackenzie School. It offers primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary education. This school also offers O-Levels for students taking the IGCS Examination. Other private schools include Mophato English Medium School, TKM, and Clifton Preparatory School.

Francistown currently has two senior secondary schools. Mater Spei College is partly run by the Roman Catholic Church. Francistown Senior Secondary School opened in 1978 and has about 1,200 students. It is located in the historic Aerodrome township and is one of the city's largest schools.

Higher Education

The Francistown Teacher Training College became part of the University of Botswana in 1973.

The Francistown College of Technical and Vocational Education was officially opened on October 10, 2008, by former president of Botswana Ian Khama. This college was built to teach 1,500 students in technical, vocational, and teacher-training programs. The college buildings are on a 4-hectare (10-acre) area in Gerald Estates. The city also has the Institute of Health Sciences, located near the Nyangabwe Referral Hospital. This institution offers courses in nursing and health care, among others.

Transport and Infrastructure

Francistown Bus Terminal

BR Express, the passenger train

Francistown City Bus and Taxi Rank

Francistown is a major transport hub. A railway line connects the city to Harare in Zimbabwe through Bulawayo. The same line also links Francistown to the capital city Gaborone and Lobatse in the south. Paved roads connect the city to Ramokgwebana in the north, and to Kazungula and Kasane via Nata.

Francistown International Airport

The city is served by Francistown International Airport. It opened on September 9, 2011, and cost P596 million to build. The Minister of Transport, Frank Ramsden, officially opened it. The new airport has a larger terminal building designed to handle air traffic until 2025. It replaced the old airport, which is now used by the Botswana Defence Force's Air Arm.

Sports in Francistown

Francistown Stadium

The Francistown School of Tennis is based at the Francistown Club. It is a professional tennis center that helps young children, starting at age 4, develop into international tennis players.

Francistown is also home to several football (soccer) clubs. These include:

• TAFIC Sporting Club
• TASC FC (Tati Sporting Club)
• ECCO City Greens FC
• Great North Tigers FC (GNT)

All these teams have played in Botswana's highest league, the Botswana Premier League, which is currently sponsored by BTC Mobile. GNT was recently promoted to the Premier League, while TAFIC plays in a lower division. The new Francistown Stadium is still being built. It will be the largest stadium in northern Botswana, with space for 27,000 spectators. It will be the home ground for some of these teams. Another stadium in the city is the Francistown City Council's Area S stadium.

Twin Towns and Sister Cities

Francistown is twinned with:

• Genk, Belgium
• Tai'an, China

Images for kids

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  The main square in Francistown.

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  A main building on the square in Francistown.

See also

In Spanish: Francistown para niños