Francistown is the second largest city in Botswana and the only one with an English name. It was the center of southern Africa's first gold rush and is still surrounded by old and abandoned mines.

The first European to arrive in the Francistown area was the missionary Robert Moffat, who travelled to nearby Nyangabgwe village. In 1867, prospector Karl Mauch discovered gold along the Tati River and this led to southern Africa’s first gold rush, with prospectors arriving from as far afield as America and Australia.

In 1869, Daniel Francis, director of the Tati Concessions Company, established the town. It had just one street which ran parallel to the 'Cape to Cairo' railway line that was initiated by Cecil John Rhodes as a vital link between Britain’s southern and northern colonies. The town was named after Francis and grew rapidly but it was discovered that the gold reefs were very narrow, making it expensive for individual prospectors to mine, so they soon left for more lucrative opportunities.

The Great Depression of the 30s hit the town hard but its central location on the main road and railway line through Botswana propped up the town's economy thanks to cross-border trading with Zimbabwe. The town continued to grow and became a city in 1997, the second oldest city in Botswana after Gaborone.

Interesting street names, such as "Blue Jacket Street", the main street (A1), running through Francistown, is a remnant of Francistown's mining history. It was named after Sam Anderson, a prospector who arrived in Francistown from Australia, pushing his wheelbarrow and wearing a blue denim jacket. Haskins Street, an extension of Blue Jacket Street, was the first tarred road in Botswana.

The A3 to Nata is notoriously bad. It is narrow, has potholes (that are fixed from time to time), and carries a lot of big trucks. For this reason, many overlanders prefer to take the more scenic route from Khama Rhino Sanctuary to Nata via Letlhakane rather than Francistown, even though the route is slightly longer.

AUTO REPAIRS:
Gibby's Diesel Services offers auto repairs in Francistown. Contact number: Tel: +267 247 1032 or +267 71 714 112.

EMERGENCY SERVICES:
The contact number for the police station is for the Central Police stations in Francistown. Another Police Station number in town is +267 241 5656.
Another alternate doctor number is: +267 241 7716.
There is no embassy in Francistown. All embassies are based in the capital city Gaborone.

FUEL:
Fuel is supplied by big petrol companies like Puma, Shell, Engen and Total so all types of fuel is available.

MARKETS:
There is currently no craft market in Francistown, but there is a food market.

SERVICES:
Francistown is a busy but organised town, and boasts everything a traveller may need. Accommodation ranges from budget camping to upmarket hotels, and there are good restaurants and shopping malls. Francistown is also a good spot to exchange money, draw cash etc. before heading up north, like to Chobe etc.

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