Purpose: The core problem of this study is that there is insufficient accommodation for primary school teachers in Gaborone. The purpose of this study is therefore to assess the factors influencing insufficient accommodation of primary school teachers in Gaborone, Botswana.

Methodology: The objectives of this study were: to identify factors influencing insufficient accommodation for primary school teachers in Gaborone; to analyse how the identified factors, impact insufficient accommodation for primary school teachers in Gaborone; to determine why primary school teachers are not utilizing government initiatives such as Self Help Housing Agency and Government Employees Motor Vehicle and Residential Property Advance Scheme (GEMVAS) for housing provision and to come up with solutions that can be used by the government to provide adequate housing to civil servants in Gaborone. In order to achieve these objectives, both primary and secondary sources of data were used. The primary sources of data include 1,603 primary school teachers of various levels in the teaching profession in Gaborone. The primary data was collected by distribution of questionnaires to 141 randomly selected teachers while secondary data was collected from journal articles, books, and reports. Quantitative research method approach was utilized where the attained quantitative data was analyzed statistically by use of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software and Microsoft Excel to ease interpretation and understanding of the study. The demographic data of respondents was presented using frequency distribution, and the rest of the data collected was analysed using SPSS.

Findings: The findings of the study reveal that variables that affect insufficient accommodation to primary school teachers in Gaborone include high cost of rent, poor infrastructure provided by government, lack of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in housing provision, poor planning and maintenance of existing buildings, over reliance on government to provide housing as well as lack of adequate housing units on site. The factors that highly had an impact on insufficient accommodation provision are human factors, followed by financial factors, institutional factors, and physical factors. A model was developed that would enhance provision of sufficient housing to primary school teachers was developed in the study.

Significance of the study: This study makes a significant impact in filling the gaps in the existing knowledge of teachers’ accommodation. This has been done through conducting intensive research of factors influencing insufficient accommodation for primary school teachers. Furthermore, the study has provided recommendations as to how the stated factors could be mitigated so as to establish adequate accommodation to primary school teachers. The local government will gain strategic insights on how to best provide accommodation to primary school teachers despite the various factors affecting their involvement in housing provision to key workers.

Research implications: The implications of this study are that it may encourage the government departments such as the Department of Housing and Department of Town and Country Planning to formally recognize the need for teacher’s housing. Formally recognizing this sector will result in enhanced participation of private developers also hence having the ability to generate monetary funds. This study improves the existing body of knowledge primarily regarding teachers’ housing. It paves way for further research to be undertaken on teacher’s housing as an investment, the potential risks and benefits of this type of investment asset with particular emphasis to Botswana.