Publishing open data isn't the same as being an open government. This piece separates Botswana's Digital Service Act's technical data-publishing mandate from real democratic accountability — arguing the Act delivers one, not the other.

Botswana's Digital Services Act, 2025 promises "open data" — but its definition blurs public vs. private data and leaves privacy safeguards vague. This piece traces "open" from 1950s software culture to today's policy, and asks what the Act still needs to get right.