The 2008 to 2011 world recession has its roots in the sub-prime crises. The whole banking industry came in to danger with the threat of a total collapse. The banking system in Botswana had however, no direct link to the subprime assets that triggered the crisis in the advanced economies. The direct exposure of banks in this regard was from their clients, mostly companies which depended heavily on foreign clients. Falling demand for Botswana exports in the international markets exerted severe stress on the balance sheets of many local banks. A case study of Botswana Building Society (BBS) was undertaken to investigate the effects of the recession on the bank’s operation and the banking sector of Botswana. A qualitative research methodology was adopted and interview questions were developed and employed to collect data from BBS staff members, management and customers to ensure that more detailed information on the effects of the recession has been collected and consolidated. The thematic approach was used to analyse the data from the respondents. The information collected provided the basis for conclusions on the effects of the recession on the performance of BBS. The body of the research draws a conclusion that there was a decline in the performance of the bank, with low customer base and hence low profitability. This decline was mainly due to the effects of the economic recession over the period 2008 to 2011. Therefore, it can be concluded from the empirical findings that there is a negative relationship between the economic recession and BBS performance. Key Words: Recession, Banking, Corporate Governance, Financial Crisis, Capital.