TITLE:
Exploring the State of Digital Records Preservation in Botswana’s Public Sector
AUTHORS:
Nna Motlhasedi
KEYWORDS:
Digital Records, Records Management, Digital Records Preservation, E-Government, Government of Botswana
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.13 No.5,
May
15,
2026
ABSTRACT: The digital records preservation strategies used by public sector organisations in Botswana were evaluated in this study. Owing to technological advancements and the government of Botswana’s e-government initiative, the production of digital records has become inevitable. Consequently, the public sector should implement effective records management practices, including the preservation of digital records, to guarantee the accessibility of records in the long term. The purpose of this study was to investigate and assess the current state of digital records preservation in Botswana’s public sector. The objectives of this study were to investigate and determine the availability and appropriateness of a legislative framework that governs digital records preservation in Botswana’s public sector and to identify the strategies that are used for the preservation of digital records in this sector. A qualitative methodology was used for the study. A systematic literature review was conducted for purposes of data collection, followed by a thematic analysis of the data. Therefore, the findings for this study are derived solely from a synthesis of existing literature thus the main findings of the study indicate that digital records preservation is not practised in Botswana’s public sector. In addition, the study revealed the existence of weak and inadequate legislation that does not support digital records preservation. The recommendations based on these findings are that legislation should be developed to promote digital records preservation and that public sector organisations should consider developing and implementing suitable strategies to support the preservation of digital records.