Festus Mogae, the Motswana president from 1998 to 2008 and an economist, died on May 8, 2026, at the age of 86.
He was Botswana’s third president, succeeding Quett Masire in 1998 and serving until 2008, when he was succeeded by Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama. Born in Serowe in 1939, Mogae studied economics in the United Kingdom at University College, Oxford, and the University of Sussex before returning to Botswana to work as a civil servant.
He later served with the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of Botswana, including as governor from 1980 to 1981, and was Minister of Finance from 1989 to 1998.
Festus Mogae, 86, Motswana president (1998-2008) and economist.