Umbrella for Democratic Change

The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) is a centre-left to left-wing alliance of political parties in Botswana. Since the 2024 Botswana general election, the UDC has been the governing alliance of political parties.

The UDC has campaigned on a progressive platform, advocating for a welfare state, wealth redistribution, renewable energy and democratic reforms, particularly in the electoral and judicial spheres. Since it was created as a political coalition with the primary aim of representing an alternative to the Botswana Democratic Party government, it has remained an ideologically pluralistic formation, though most of its member parties (both past and present) are positioned on the left-wing or centre-left of the political spectrum and is generally considered a social democratic alliance. Some analysts have labeled the alliance and its discourse as "left-wing populism" or "democratic socialist." UDC members, including UDC Leader Duma Boko himself, have expressed opposition to both capitalism and socialism, advocating instead for a "Third Way."

Since its founding, the UDC's core voter base has varied in composition with shifts in the voting behavior of anti-BDP voters. However, the coalition has generally maintained strong support among the urban population—especially in the Gaborone metropolitan area—as well as among youth and the educated middle class. In the 2019 election, through its alliance with Ian Khama, heir to the BaNgwato throne, the UDC gained substantial support from voters in the Central District, a stronghold of the tribe. Much of this support was retained in the 2024 election.