City of Francistown, Botswana
City of Francistown uses Central Africa Time at UTC+2. The city follows one fixed civil-time offset throughout the year and does not observe daylight saving time.
Francistown, Botswana
Thursday, 8 October 2026
UTC+2 · Africa/Gaborone
Time and sun data for Francistown — the largest city of City of Francistown
The sun in Francistown
Sunrise 5:46 AM Solar noon 11:59 AM Sunset 6:11 PM Daylight 12 h 25 min Night 11 h 35 min Civil twilight 5:24 AM – 6:34 PM
Botswana · 5 cities
Largest cities
- Francistown 103 417
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Current time in City of Francistown, Botswana
The displayed local clock is the correct reference for Francistown and its urban area. It matches the time used everywhere else in Botswana, including Gaborone and nearby parts of the Northeast and Central districts.
Central Africa Time is usually written as CAT. It stays two hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Residents do not move clocks forward or backward for a summer-time system, so local appointments remain on a stable offset.
Official local zone: Central Africa Time. Common abbreviation: CAT. Relationship to UTC: UTC+2. Seasonal adjustment: none. The difference between Francistown and a foreign city may nevertheless change. This occurs when the foreign location alters its own clocks. For an international conference or recurring family call, compare both live local times on the relevant date.
Francistown’s clock is uncomplicated; arriving across town on time may still require a plan.
The city and its connections
Francistown is one of Botswana’s major cities and serves as a commercial and transport centre in the northeast. Its suburbs and neighbourhoods do not have separate time zones, and the same clock applies at homes, offices, stations, and the airport.
The city is linked by road and rail with other Botswana settlements. A domestic timetable can be read directly in CAT without converting departure and arrival hours. However, an overnight service may arrive on the next date, even though no time-zone boundary has been crossed.
People coordinating with surrounding villages should state a precise meeting point. “Francistown time” settles the clock question, but it does not identify which terminal, entrance, business, or neighbourhood is intended.
Include the date for overnight journeys. Add CAT to invitations sent internationally. Confirm whether an arrival time is scheduled or estimated. Allow local travel time before check-in or departure.
Dawn and sunrise in Francistown
Sunrise in Francistown moves gradually over the seasons. As the city is in the Southern Hemisphere, its longer and shorter daylight periods occur in the opposite part of the calendar from those in Europe or North America.
The city’s sunrise will not exactly match Gaborone, Maun, or Kasane because each place has different coordinates. Botswana uses one national clock despite these astronomical differences, so the Sun can rise at different clock times in different cities.
A sunrise listing is normally calculated for an idealized horizon. Houses, trees, hills, and atmospheric conditions affect when an observer first sees direct sunlight. Civil twilight starts earlier and may provide enough light for commuting, though not necessarily for every outdoor task.
Select Francistown itself when checking daylight for a flight, walk, photograph, or working shift. Also use the intended date: a value remembered from another month is not a reliable guide to tomorrow’s dawn.
Questions and answers
- Is Francistown on the same time as Gaborone?
- Yes. Both cities use Central Africa Time at UTC+2.
- Does Francistown change its clocks?
- No. The city keeps the same UTC offset all year.
- Is dawn the same event as sunrise?
- No. Dawn begins during twilight before the Sun reaches the horizon.