Good Day,
Has anyone ever taken their drone succesfully through to Botswana? I was hoping to do this in September but have just been told the following by their CAA
Good morning, Sir.
Unfortunately, you will not be able to use the drone since it will not be registered for use in Botswana, and you will be for a holiday for a short while. The requirement is as indicated below.
We hope to be of your service soon.
This may be of help - looks like you have to be on site to complete the registration which would suggest you would have to visit first before importing the drone 
Best of luck dealing with the Botswana regulations which seem to be in force these days. As for flying anywhere near game reserves? Forget it. Flying off the cuff when you stumble upon some attractive scenery? Forget it. Like other countries, such as the Maldives, Botswana requires time, date & locations of flights. Really? These authorities don’t seem to have a clue about the culture of flying that makes drone photography worthwhile.
For what it’s worth I visited Botswana & Zimbabwe in 2018, before they wanted all this registration, fees, passport ID or finger prints & passport malarky, so I emailed the lodge I was staying at for a week, not actually in a game reserve but outside its boundary, with details of request to fly from the lodge’s grounds. Local management OK’d it but on actual arrival more senior management overuled it…result? No flights! Had better luck in Zimbabwe when flying from a liveaboard boat on Lake Kariba.
A year later I toured South Africa, once again emailing hotels & lodges to be stayed at, with some success, but as for the majority of game parks…no chance. Privately owned game reserves had a more sympathic reception and cooperation, indeed a couple offered a vehicle & driver at no charge to drive me to scenic locations. As for bureaucratic, national civil aviation authorities & their regulations these days? Good luck, you might need it!