Sector In Botswana Research Articles

Informal Sector, Vulnerability and Social Protection in the COVID-19 Era: Issues, Challenges, Prospects and Lessons Learnt

The paper considers the plight of vulnerable groups operating in the informal sector in Botswana during the COVID -19 Era, and further explores the pragmatic initial responses to these challenges, by the Government authorities in Botswana. The purpose is to highlight lessons that other countries in the SADC region and beyond can glean from Botswana’s commendable initial responses to the impact of the COVID-19 induced measures on vulnerable groups, particularly those who derive their livelihoods from informal sector activities.

Excellent Customer Experience in the Tertiary Higher Education Sector in Botswana as a Competitive Advantage

This study was aimed at developing a framework for the adoption of social media marketing by Small and Medium Enterprises in the manufacturing sector to improve their sales performance. This study was guided by objectives such as to ascertain how WhatsApp can improve the sales performance of SMEs in Botswana, to assess how Facebook can be used as a tool for increasing SME sales performance, to evaluate how effective LinkedIn is in improving SME sales performance, to determine strategies to implement social media marketing framework for SMEs and to develop a framework for the adoption of social media marketing by small and medium enterprise to improve sales performance. This study adopted pragmatism research philosophy which assisted the researcher in making decisions in regard to what worked best in finding answers for the research objectives mentioned. A sample size of 218 was determined using Taro Yamane sample size determination method. In this study it was established that SMEs have a Facebook page which they use to market its products and communicate with its customers. More so it was established that the majority of SMEs had a limited comprehension of the notion of social media marketing. The notions can be understood in a variety of ways by some. The term social media marketing is frequently used to refer to web-based platforms for engagement that, in addition to facilitating communication, enable users to share content such as photographs, videos, and links to other sites. The study established that WhatsApp has the potential to positively influence consumer purchasing decisions, thereby contributing to the growth of sales for local culinary items. It is important to comprehend the ramifications of Facebook strategies from the customer standpoint, as well as the determinants that contribute to the triumph of brands in the social media realm. It was observed that LinkedIn can assist SMEs to connect with potential customers, enhance brand visibility, and drive sales. The research suggests that policymakers should establish an index on social media marketing to serve as a reference for all small and medium businesses as a way of improving implementation of social media marketing. This research contributes to the academia and industry by identifying some research gaps and providing directions for future researches.

A review of foot-and-mouth disease status and control measures in Botswana.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), an economically important disease of livestock, is endemic in Botswana. The country has been affected by this disease since the early 1930s, and FMD virus (FMDV) continues to circulate in both domestic and wild animal populations. Botswana is affected by the Southern African Territories (SAT1-3) of FMDV. Up to 80% of the income in the agricultural sector in Botswana is derived from the beef production, and about 70% of Botswana's beef exports go to the European Union (EU) market. Thus, trade restrictions caused by FMD outbreaks may result in declines in revenue. In this review, the FMD status of Botswana from 2006 to 2022 is discussed. During the report period, SAT2 was responsible for 80 out of a total of 87 FMD outbreaks, while SAT1 was responsible for 7 out of 87 outbreaks. These outbreaks were a result of SAT1 topotype I and SAT2 topotypes I, II, and III. There were no outbreaks associated with serotype SAT3 over the review span, suggesting absence of this serotype in the country, although it is still maintained in vaccines formulated for use in Botswana. Most of the outbreaks reported in this review occurred in the North West district of Botswana; an area that is heavily populated with cloven hooved wildlife. This highlights the role of wildlife-domestic animal interaction in FMD spread and maintenance. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has created a progressive control pathway for FMD (PCP-FMD) for the global elimination of FMD to reduce FMD-related losses. This review highlights how Botswana takes part in the PCP-FMD by putting in place control measures such as surveillance and vaccination. The review also touches on the disease control challenges such as limitations to separation of livestock with populations of buffaloes and lapses in livestock vaccination which contribute to maintenance of FMDV circulation in Botswana.

Productive efficiency of beef cattle production in Botswana: a latent class stochastic meta-frontier analysis

IntroductionEfficiency in food production is crucial for sustainable agriculture in developing countries. This paper contributes to the existing literature by presenting an innovative approach to modeling productive efficiency in beef cattle production. Treating farm performance across regions as unobserved heterogeneity, we determine technical efficiency of beef cattle production in Botswana. We aim to shed light on the factors influencing efficiency in this sector.MethodsThe study utilized block-level data from various annual agricultural surveys (2006–2014) covering 26 agricultural districts and six agro-ecological regions in Botswana. We employed a latent class stochastic frontier model complemented with the stochastic meta-frontier analysis.ResultsResults show that the best performing farming systems in terms of efficiency are districts with well-developed infrastructure and better access to output and input markets. In contrast, the farming systems that perform poorly consist of agricultural districts without access to livestock advisory centers, with higher average temperatures and foot and mouth disease, limiting access to export markets. The mean technical efficiency scores for beef production for agricultural districts in class one and two were 62 and 59%, respectively, implying high potential to improve beef production using the same level of agricultural inputs through efficiency-enhancing investments.DiscussionBased on our results, it is crucial for agricultural policies to prioritize regionally specific investments that address the needs of the under-performing districts. By targeting the lagging districts, policymakers can help beef producers improve their input efficiency and bridge the technological gaps to the meta-frontier. This can be achieved through investments in infrastructure, access to livestock advisory services, and disease control measures. Such efforts will not only enhance the efficiency of beef production but also contribute to the overall sustainability of the agricultural sector in Botswana.

Basic Education Sector Service Delivery: Challenges Faced by Managers and Practitioners in Botswana

The purpose of this study was to explore the conceptualisation, practices and experiences of Education managers and practitioners regarding service delivery in the Botswana basic education sector. The study used a qualitative multiple case study, which employed social constructivism to investigate the quality-of-service delivery in the basic education sector in Botswana. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data generated through semi-structured interviews, document reviews and questionnaires. The findings of the study show that all 23 participants did not efficiently and effectively deliver services to customers. It was revealed that this was due to a top-down approach, inadequate resources, insufficient support during training and non-compliance to the implementation of service delivery policy reforms. The contribution of this study comes from the use of Public Service Dominant Theory (PSDT) and Expectancy theory in the basic education sector. This theoretical framework shifts the paradigm towards new ways of looking at things. The findings of the study call for policymakers and policy implementers to be equipped with skills and competencies, so that they would be able to understand their expectations and/or the different roles they play in policy implementation and compliance. The study found that there was a gap between policy and practice and this gap can be closed by policymakers fully interacting with policy implementers in the formulation of policy reforms aimed at improving service delivery. More research is required to identify efficient and effective ways of implementing and complying with service delivery policy reforms. Keywords: Basic education sector, Botswana, expectancy theory, implementation challenges, public service dominant theory.

THE DRIVERS OF PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT IN BOTSWANA: AN EXPLORATORY REVIEW

This paper reviews the drivers of investment by the private sector in Botswana for the period from 1980 to 2018. The paper discusses the investment policies that the government has adopted over the years, the incentives, as well as the institutions that have been established to promote private sector investment. The Botswana government’s economic development strategy is aimed at promoting economic growth through the private sector. Some of the key determinants of private investment, which have been analysed, include economic growth, public investment, credit to the private sector, gross domestic savings, trade openness, interest rates, inflation and foreign direct investment. Since the 1980s, the private sector investment has been fluctuating between 34.5 percent and 12.1 percent, with the highest level being recorded in 1980 and the lowest in 1996. The study shows that economic growth averaged 6.4 percent, public investment was 10.3 percent, credit to the private sector was 18.3 percent, gross domestic savings was 35.9, trade openness was 101.4 percent, interest rate was 3.6 percent, inflation was 8.9 percent and lastly, foreign direct investment was 2.6 percent during the study period.

Sustainable Development Goals Localisation in the Hospitality Sector in Botswana and Zimbabwe

Many countries have fronted tourism as a tool for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their voluntary national reviews. Nevertheless, very few studies have examined how the tourism industry has been localising SDGs. Therefore, this study is borne out of that knowledge gap. A qualitative approach comprising the use of primary and secondary data from integrated annual reports was adopted. The study found some progress made by hotel companies in localising SDGs. It emerged that Cresta Hotels and the African Sun group of hotels are only at the inception stage of SDG localisation, focusing on several SDGs that respond to the socio-economic and environmental demands of the environments they work in. Given that most of the work under the SDGs only began inception between 2018 and 2019, there is still a long way to go before meaningful progress can be reported regarding SDG localization, with preliminary evidence showing that the hotel industry is likely to have made significant inroads when the SDGs lapse in 2030 if their efforts are not disturbed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study recommends continuous monitoring and support for the sector as the SDG framework offers a better and more focused sector to achieve sustainable and responsible tourism in Zimbabwe and Botswana.

The Impacts of Covid-19 on Nature-based Tourism in Botswana: Implications for Community Development

COVID-19 has had significant impacts on industries and individuals globally. Due to restrictions put in place to reduce the spread of the disease, it has affected the travel and tourism industry. Using the concepts of ecotourism and sustainable tourism, a systematic qualitative document analysis of available literature was carried out to determine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on nature-based tourism and its implications on community development, using Botswana as a case study. Results indicate that due to the unsustainable and predominant dependence on the international market, the tourism sector in Botswana has come to a standstill. Furthermore, the promotion of domestic tourism to nature-based attractions may lead to conservation issues. COVID-19 has also had an impact on community development through abrupt losses of employment and income. However, several positive environmental impacts have also been experienced. This article calls for a transformation of the tourism sector to make it more resilient. As a response measure, it is necessary to assess whether there is a need to call for a change in policy from high-value low-volume to low-cost high-volume, which may have negative impacts on conservation. However, as an adaptive response, we assert the need to diversify tourism products to consider the needs of both domestic and regional markets so that the focus is not just on nature-based tourism and international clientele.

Integrating the Informal Social Security Arrangements into the Formal Sector in Botswana

This paper makes an attempt to define informal social security and discusses the role of traditional support systems and extended family as social security institutions. Self organised mutual support systems which are neighbourhood or community-based informal systems that go beyond kinship and family ties are discussed. The African traditional values such as “botho” “ubuntu” and “harambee” are discussed. The idea that formal and informal social security systems having the same goal is advanced and that it is possible to build synergies between the two systems. Finally that an integrative approach needs to be adopted between the nonformal and the formal systems of social security.

Registered nurses' knowledge, attitude and practice regarding their scope of practice in Botswana.

BackgroundThe articulation of the scope of practice in nursing is important to provide boundaries for registered nurses in which to practice. Registered nurses in Botswana have frequently experienced challenges and raised concerns with their scope of practice. Research related to registered nurses’ knowledge, attitudes and practice regarding their scope of practice appears to be limited in the African context, particularly in Botswana.AimThe aim of this study was to develop guidelines for professional nurses to explore and describe registered nurses’ knowledge, attitude and practice regarding their scope of practice in Botswana.MethodsA convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed using a three-tier sampling approach to ensure a representative sample of various settings, health facilities and nurses. For the purpose of this article, the data from the qualitative component are reported. Thirty registered nurses, working in the public health sector in Botswana, participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis.FindingsData analysis revealed that registered nurses’ scope of their knowledge was lacking. Registered nurses’ attitudes were reflected in the adaptation process to expanded practice, as demonstrated through emotive aspects, adjustments to practice beyond scope and the learning of new skills considered beyond scope. Participants reported implementing many skills deemed beyond their scope, whilst their motive to do so included their experience of a lack of control over practice, lack of resources or they were doing so out of consideration for the patient. Guidance in terms of their scope was found to be inadequate.ConclusionAs in other resource-limited countries in Africa, registered nurses in Botswana experience challenges with their scope of practice. Inadequate boundaries may result in compromised nursing care and may have detrimental consequences for both the patient and the nurse.

Psychiatric epidemiological survey of university students in Botswana: rationale and methods of the Youth Mental Health Study (YMHS)

BackgroundWhile the burden of disease attributable to mental disorders in low/middle-income countries (LMICs) is lower than high-income countries, there is recognition that the dearth of evidence from the LMICs may...

The Influence of After Sales Services on Marketing Performance in the Retail Sector in Botswana

The focal point of the study was to investigate the influence of after sales services on marketing performance at Sefalana Holdings in Botswana. The study was conducted in order to find out the influence of after sales services on customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and customer retention at Sefalana Holdings in Botswana. Causal research approach was employed and a questionnaire was used to collect data from Sefalana customers. The study results indicated that after sales services are provided at Sefalana but they are not fully utilized and implemented. The study findings revealed that there is a weaker significant positive relationship between after sales services and customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and customer retention at Sefalana Holdings in Botswana. This infers that after sales services are not properly done at Sefalana and therefore, the researcher recommended that Sefalana Holdings should improve on the delivery of its after sales services in order to increase customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and customer retention.

The effects of leadership styles on employee performance: a case of a selected commercial bank in Botswana

Purpose: The leadership phenomenon is fundamental in providing employees with direction and emotional indulgence to derive maximum effort out of them. Therefore, it is vital that an organisation places uninhibited emphasis on the appropriate leadership style to enhance employee performance. Premised on the Collaborative Leadership Model, this paper sought to extricate the nexus between leadership style and employee performance at a selected bank in Botswana, focusing on the transactional, transformational, and participative leadership styles. Research methodology: The study adopted a positivist research paradigm coupled with a survey research design, while a quantitative methodology was used to collect data through a self-administered questionnaire. The study population comprised 433 employees from which a sample of 200 was randomly selected. Data was analysed through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), culminating in statistical techniques such as factor analysis, regression analysis and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results: The results of the study revealed that there was a significant utilisation of the participative, transformational, and transactional leadership styles at the selected commercial bank. However, while the use of the participative and transactional leadership styles had a positive and significant influence on employee performance, the transformational leadership style’s effect was insignificant. Limitation: The study only used quantitative data from employees for analysis and did not include bank leaders’ opinions. Contribution: The study contributed to the expansion of the body of knowledge on leadership style and employee performance in the banking sector in Botswana and elsewhere and helped to unmask the shortcomings of some styles while exposing the power of others in reaping positive reinforcements leading to enhancement of employee performance. Keywords: Leadership, Leadership style, Employee performance, Participative leadership, Transformational leadership, Transactional leadership

Management of authentic digital accounting records in an enterprise resource planning system in the public sector of Botswana

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are often implemented in the public sector value chains for purposes of improving business processes. In 2004, the government of Botswana implemented the Government Accounting and Budgeting System (GABS), an ERP to facilitate improved management of financial records. The custodian of the system is the Accountant General’s Department (AGD) in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MFED). This descriptive study adopted a qualitative approach and collected data through interviews and documentary analysis. The study sample was selected purposively from six (6) departments with the mandate of each as a determining factor in relation to answering the research questions. The collected data were analysed thematically in accordance with research objectives. The main purpose of this study was to investigate records management practices related to the management of authentic digital accounting records generated and stored in GABS to support the audit process in Botswana’s public sector. The study revealed that although there is a national legislative and policy framework in place, it has not been operationalised through guidelines and procedures to guide the management of digital records generated by the system. Furthermore, records retention and disposal through the system have not been catered for, resulting in the system being clogged by old records since it was commissioned in 2004. Amongst others, this study recommends the development and implementation of guidelines and procedures to guide the management of records produced by the system.

Effects of Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agricultural Development (ISPAAD) on the Income of Sorghum Farmers: Evidence from Kweneng District, Botswana

This paper examines the factors influencing participation decisions among the farmer’s households of the Integrated Support Program for Arable Agricultural Development with the logistic model and assesses its effects on the agricultural sector in Botswana. Using random sampling, data were collected from 397 households at Kweneng District. The results showed that farm size, type of seed provided, amount of fertilizing, household size, access to extension services, availability of labour, sex of the farmer, risk attitude, total productivity per hectare and group participation were statistically significant at 1% or 5% level. Further analysis revealed that participation improves the income of small-scale farmers.

Enhancing productive capabilities through intra-regional trade and cross-border investments in Southern Africa

ABSTRACTRegional integration is an important factor for enabling knowledge flows between economies and enhancing the capacity of firms within the integrated block to benefit from local knowledge spillovers. This study analyses data on economic interactions between Botswana and its technologically more advanced southern neighbour, South Africa, to examine the extent to which knowledge flows facilitated by geographical proximity translate into fostering technological learning and productivity of manufacturing firms. Industry- and firm-level data on bilateral capital goods trade and investments over the period 1991–2013 are used to assess the technological learning of the manufacturing sector in Botswana. This study also applies the Hunt, J, & Tybout, J (1999. Does Promoting High-Tech Products Spur Development? FEEM Working Paper REG 42. Milan: Fondazione Eni EnricoMattei) technological sophistication framework to analyse the role played by regional trade and investment flows between the economies of South Africa and Botswana in the skills intensification of manufacturing firms. Skills intensity decomposition reveals that Botswana’s manufacturing technical intensity has been positively influenced by the extent of capital goods trade and investment linkages with South African economy.

Low carbon scenarios and policies for the power sector in Botswana

ABSTRACTThe Government of Botswana has pledged a nationally determined contribution (NDC) as a commitment to the Paris Agreement. For the power sector, the NDC states that the government expects renewable energy (RE) to meet 25% of peak electricity demand by 2030. However, due to high initial cost of RE technologies, the government plans to maintain a coal-based power system in the future. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine Botswana’s national plan from an economic perspective, using scenario and cost analysis, to explore the possibility of the power sector’s low carbon transition in the light of Botswana’s NDC. Five scenarios are designed to reflect a range of investment cost changes of RE technologies. While most scenarios only achieve 19% (P3, P4 and P5) and 54% (P6) of the NDC’s power sector target, the P7 scenario far exceeds the goal by achieving 188% of the NDC target. Furthermore, as the difference of levelized cost of electricity among the scenarios is minimal, the P7 scenario is the most attractive pathway for the government. Even for other scenarios, the government should still deploy the suggested capacity of solar photovoltaic (PV) as it is both economically and socially beneficial in the long term. However, in these cases, the government’s political will to meet the NDC’s power sector target and to promote the solar PV industry will be critical in designing future power sector policies.Key policy insightsModel results show coal as the cheapest resource for electricity generation in Botswana up to 2030, but the cost competitiveness of solar photovoltaic (PV) against coal will continue to increase over time.It is economically and socially beneficial to adjust the current national plan and substitute some share of coal with solar PV in the future energy mix.Government support is critical in achieving the power sector’s NDC target, as cost reduction of solar PV alone does not guarantee success.Encouraging independent power producers (IPP) with financial support mechanisms would be a suitable business model for developing the renewable energy industry.

Providing High Quality Standard of Training in the Tertiary Education Sector in Botswana: Evaluation of Resources in Enhancing Effectiveness

The research goal of study is to accentuate on high quality standard of training and provision of adequate resources and its effects on the overall development of tertiary education sector in Botswana. Special attention is paid to Botswana Qualification Authority (BQA) and it’s emphasizes on the issue of compliance in the standards set by its regulatory authorities. This paper discusses opportunities for enhancing the efficiency of education by providing quality training and using resources more strategically to increase its impact on national and global education outcomes. Since Education Training Providers have advocacy for more students which has been targeted towards Directorate of Tertiary Education Council (DTEF), hence, attention to deliver effectiveness must be largely emphasized. In programme development and procedures, delivery styles used on the programme must be appropriate to the needs of the learners. Adequate resources are necessary for successful achievement by learners of the programme objectives and maintain on the programme, and there should be plentiful evidence to indicate that the programme aspect meets expectations. Various resources for successful participation by learners are allocated to maintain programmes.It has been deliberated that assessment must be available to all learners who have the potential to achieve the standards required for a particular qualification. Care must be taken that any proposed assessment methods are of quality for learners and demonstrate that they have achieved the international standard. Measures must be taken to ensure that all learners have adequate access to facilities and resources. The resources available to programmes must be in accordance with programme objectives and budget allocation. Finally, to ensure the introduction of relevant programmes in a socio-economic context; analysis of enquiries and administration of needs analyses must be conducted.

Botswana

This Selected Issues paper examines the stability of the financial sector in Botswana. The financial system has grown rapidly over the years, but there is still substantial scope for expansion. Banks, institutional investors, and the Botswana Stock Exchange have grown steadily over the years based on political and economic stability, savings from diamond exports, and fiscal surpluses. Botswana’s financial stability framework could benefit from upgrading. Data gaps and incomplete information on cross-border capital flows and growing interconnection with the nonbank financial sector may entail risks. In this regard, close cooperation among regulators and proper assessment of macro-financial risks associated with banks’ large exposures will contribute to more effective financial system supervision.

A quantitative value chain analysis of policy options for the beef sector in Botswana

The liberalization of beef exports in Botswana is hotly debated among policy makers and relevant value chain actors. While some policy makers argue that such a move might increase prices for producers and make beef unaffordable for consumers, others suggest an open market would reduce the profitability of the beef sector in Botswana. At the same time, these impacts will be mediated by the presence of animal disease and the availability of sufficient feed and water. In this paper, we constructed an integrated system dynamics (SD) model that captures the feedbacks between the biological dynamics of cattle production, the economics of animal and meat marketing and trade, and the impacts that environmental pressures such as rainfall and animal disease have on the system. We used this model to run a series of scenarios associated with market liberalization and animal health shocks to quantify their impacts throughout the value chain, taking into account the feedbacks between biology, markets, and environment on the value chain itself. This approach allows for a holistic evaluation of policy options on different chain actors and whole chain performance, and provides a knowledge base for prioritizing interventions. Model results suggested that although disease control policies benefit all value chain actors, gains from market liberalization come at the expense of substantial losses to Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) and its contracted feedlots. They also suggest that combining market liberalization policy reforms with better animal disease controls greatly improved the financial performance of all value chain actors.