In January 2010 Cricket Ireland, the governing body for cricket in Ireland, awarded Botha a full-time contract. He was one of six players awarded such contracts with Cricket Ireland, and came just a year after the first professional contracts were awarded to Ireland's cricketers. Before that players were amateurs relying on income from other jobs and playing cricket in their spare time. The contract allowed Botha and the others to focus on cricket, with the aim of improving ahead of the 2011 World Cup.