Youth Unemployment in Botswana: Inclusive Development, Trends and Issues

Botswana is widely recognized as an “African Success” for several reasons, from good governance to stability and economic growth. With steady growth from its independence in 1966, Botswana registered the world’s highest long-term growth rates in the first 40 years after independence (Hillbom & Bolt, 2018). Even though the growth rates decreased in the last two decades, the country’s GDP in 2021 was 17.61 billion US dollars (World Bank, 2022). Nonetheless, scholars such as Taylor and Good (2008) and Hillbom and Bolt (2018) have broadly and repeatedly criticized the country’s inequalities. However, while Botswana nowadays is classified as an upper-middle-income country, wealth is not well-distributed among the population. This is one of the reasons why the country’s development raises questions of inclusivity. In this sense, the academic debate and international organizations have introduced the concept of inclusive and sustainable development as both a goal and a lens for examining issues such as employment dynamics. 

Inclusive development is a broad concept that looks at the topic through multilayered perspectives. Many scholars focus exclusively on social and economic inclusiveness or political inclusiveness. For instance, Pouw and Gupta (2017) argue that it includes social, ecological, and relational inclusiveness. According to the INCLUDE platform, which focuses on inclusive development policies in Africa, defines inclusive development as transformative change that addresses inequality, exclusion, and exclusiveness, with the aim of improving everyday life. It calls for a deeper analysis of the economic dimension to examine the distribution of outcomes. Indeed, while African economies are growing, a considerable portion of people is excluded from this progress (Reinders et al., 2019). On the other hand, the African continent has been experiencing solid growth since 2000, broadly diffusing the epithet of “Africa rising”. Between 2000 and 2016, Africa registered high growth rates, with an average of 4.6% (AUC/OECD, 2018). The growth has been faster than expected, especially among non-resource-intensive economies (African Development Bank, 2018). Nevertheless, levels of inclusive growth seem low in the continent. Recent data show that inequality is rising in the continent, while the relative number of poverty is declining. Yet, Africa has the world’s highest rate of working poverty, with a great number of individuals working for salaries of less than 2 US$ per day. On average, many African countries have low levels of inclusiveness, broadly considered to be the result of low labor absorption rates and disparity of incomes.

The Main Issues and Importance Of Youth Unemployment

Unemployment is commonly considered an issue in African countries, with the continent registering almost 40 million unemployed people in 2016 (van Niekerk, 2020). Even though annual employment is broadly increasing in the continent, slow pace of job creation is a significant issue. It primarily affects women and young people and hinders poverty reduction for vulnerable groups (African Development Bank, 2018). Reinders et al., in the latest Include report (2019), highlighted that, at present, Sub-Saharan Africa has not yielded enough productive employment. This has significant consequences on the incidence of poverty and income inequality. Furthermore, with high unemployment rates, opportunities are necessarily limited, and economic development is not shared. The authors attribute the continent's recent "jobless growth" primarily to factors such as the extractive nature of its economies, low productivity in agriculture and services, and slow industrial growth (Reinders et al., 2019). 

This article focuses on youth employment as an indicator to analyze inclusive development in Botswana. This choice was based on a review of the country’s framework for its inclusive development. With a Human Development Index of 0.713 in 2020 (Human Development Reports, 2020; Sebudubudu, 2019) and a GDP per capita of 7,347.6 US$ in 2021 (World Bank, 2022), Botswana is a ‘successful’ and growing country. Nevertheless, it is one of the most unequal countries in the world, registering a Gini index of 53.3 in 2015 (World Bank, 2016). Hence, understanding the country’s relatively inclusive development dynamics appears crucial. Despite widespread critiques of traditional development paradigms (Mittelman, 2018; Weltmeyer & Delgado Vise, 2018), the issue of inclusive development remains central (Ncube, 2015), notably in a country such as Botswana.

Figure 1: T. Phetogo, (2020), blackbody Composite (Song of the Pick).

Employment Rate As A Social And Economic Indicator

In assessing the sustainability and inclusivity of economic growth, the employment rate emerges as a crucial index, as it reflects progress towards the goal of full and productive employment (UN, 2015). Since youth unemployment is a focal point in the country, its dynamics and management seemed pertinent to this analysis. The youth unemployment rate is defined by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as «the number of unemployed 15-24 year-olds expressed as a percentage of the youth labor force. Unemployed people are those who report that they are without work, and that they are available for work» (OECD, 2022). This is a crucial indicator since Botswana presents a youthful population: 70% of its small population (about 2.4 million inhabitants in 2021, World Bank, 2022) is under the age of 35, while circa 33.5% is between 10 and 24 (UNFPA, 2018). Youth employment is, therefore, a relevant indicator to look at in Botswana’s path towards inclusive development to evaluate the past and current trends of inclusivity, and the management of such sectors. The country is experiencing high growth rates and is effectively managing economic downturns. However, these growth trends are not reflected in similar employment rates. Data show that the employment indicator seems to follow the country's macroeconomic movements: for instance, positive tendencies are registered between 2003 and 2009, in correspondence with the recovery from the HIV/AIDS crisis and the global financial crash of 2008. Yet a significant portion of the population is still unemployed. Unemployment has risen since 2009 and has just inverted its tendency in 2020, slightly decreasing by 0.2% in 2021, to increase again in 2022 (World Bank, 2024). Unemployment mainly affects the most vulnerable groups in Botswana, coherently with the global trends. Hence, women and young people are the main subjects damaged by unemployment and, generally, crisis. This is evident in Botswana, where youth unemployment rates are concerning. 

Available data from the World Bank (2024) indicate that something changed in employment ratios in Botswana between 2000 and 2021. The movements of this rate can be explained with the analysis of the total (un)employment tendencies in the country, and partly with the study of some specific policies initiated by the national government.

Figure 2: T. Phetogo, (2021), Self-Portrait as a Composite.

The Dimensions Of Youth Unemployment in Botswana 

To continue this analysis, it is essential to highlight the dimensions of youth unemployment in Botswana. Kemiso and Kolawole define the issue as a «country-level problem». The unemployment rate in the country is highest amongst the age groups 20-24 in all the districts. According to the authors' national statistics, the map of youth unemployment is diverse in the country. The districts with unemployment rates above 30% are Kweneng East, Southern District, Barolong, Kgalagadi South, and Ngamiland East. Youth unemployment is around 25% in urban villages and 18% in rural areas, while it is lower in urban towns, approximately 16%. Youth unemployment rates are more concerning for females (around 40%) than for males (about 30%) (Kemiso & Kolawole, 2017). Many factors are considered to have an incidence / influence on this divergence, most of all tradition and culture’s impact (Simphambe & Okurut, 2011). Furthermore, the absence of specific policies is widely identified as the main factor contributing to this gap and the issue of youth unemployment, with the lack of empirical research on the topic and proper monitoring of programs (Lesetedi, 2018). Many reasons are identified as root causes of youth unemployment in Botswana: lack of skills, low levels of education, and mismatches between labor supply and demand. These elements seem to create a vicious circle when the shortage of technical skills matches the lack of work experience and required qualifications (Nthomang, Diraditsile, 2016). Mogomotsi and Madigele have also emphasized the failure of the education system in the country, where a low rate of specialization programs in the universities implies the ‘non-employability’ of graduates (Mogomotsi & Madigele, 2017). The so-called ‘jobless growth’ appears then as a persistent paradigm in Botswana.

Understanding the fluctuations in youth employment is essential at this juncture, since peaks are significant (World Bank, 2024). Given the macroeconomic shifts discussed earlier, the intervention of general and specific measures is fundamental to analyzing the country’s employment rates. All the National Development Plans (NDPs) adopted between 2000-2021 have tried to address the issue of youth unemployment, alongside specific interventions. The Youth Policy of 1996 marked the first  time  the government of Botswana explicitly to address the issue. It is indeed, the first attempt to strengthen a network of institutions for youth development, to make it more accessible and widespread. It was the primary framework policy until its revision in 2010, when a Plan of Action was implemented with youth economic empowerment programs. In 2009, a Youth Development Fund was realized to promote and finance the active participation of young people in the country’s job market. Various initiatives were implemented, such as the Youth Empowerment Scheme in 2012, which sought to provide young people with practical experience in several government departments, non-governmental organizations, and private institutions for a given period (Nthomang, Diraditsile, 2016). Other programs have tried to address the different levels of youth unemployment: two examples are the Ipelegeng Program, designed for low-skill individuals (Mogomotsi et al., 2019), and the National Internship Programme, conceived to integrate graduates into government departments or the private sector for a maximum period of two years, to gain technical skills (Mogomotsi & Madigele, 2017).

Figure 3: T. Phetogo, (2020), blackbody Composite (In Protest).

The Trends Of Youth Unemployment

Interestingly, it can be observed that the youth (un)employment trends follow the macroeconomic trends of Botswana. The effects of national interventions focused on the specific issue remain limited. The recovery interventions that were undertaken to boost the economy after the HIV/AIDS pandemic, as well as the high incidence of the virus on young people’s mortality in the country -in 2003, a peak of 16,000 deaths was registered in Botswana (Stover et al., 2008)-, can be seen as major causes for the growth of the percentage of youth employment after 2003. The steady decrease in the rates after 2008 is connected to the global financial crisis that started that same year. It also reflects the general employment decline in the country. The relatively low rate of decrease in youth employment can be explained based on the incidence of the government's abovementioned policies between 2010 and 2013. Moreover, the recent growth of the non-mining private sector seems to have contributed to the creation of formal sector employment, which is absorbing a portion of the unemployed youth together with new parastatals institutions, as in organizations with specific focus owned by the country’s government (Government of Botswana, n.d.). The most recent crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic, had significant consequences on employment rates in the country. The pandemic caused a 7.9% contraction in the country’s GDP. Botswana has indeed applied a strict lockdown to contain the spread of the virus. Several studies have investigated the effects of the pandemic on labor markets and found that lockdowns have induced a substantial general decline in employment, with higher risks of workers not getting their positions back at reopening, as indicated by Schotte et al. 2021. Nevertheless, trends show that the economic recovery of the country after 2020 has been impressive. Notably, the increase in the youth employment rate between 2020 and 2021 is vigorous (World Bank, 2024), proportionally more than the total labor force employment’s one in the same period. Possible explanations can be seen within the positive effects of the implementation of the National Informal Sector Recovery Plan of August 2020. Indeed, the plan’s target 8.6 set the aim to «substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training» by 2020 (Government of Botswana, 2020, p. 11). This, alongside with the economic boost following the pandemic, played a crucial role in youth employment. Nevertheless, the long-term effects of the recent crises above mentioned seem to keep Botswana in this loop of youth unemployment. The World Bank (2024) reporting again newly rising trends in youth unemployment since 2022, leading to questioning whether the paradigm of Botswana’s jobless growth is still yet another instance of the continent’s trends in this sense. 

Figure 4: T. Phetogo (2020), Lowe (Male hill, Female hill).

Final Consideration Regarding Future Possible Issues In Botswana

Despite some progress, the examination of youth employment data from 2000 to 2021 reveals that inclusivity in this sector has not yet been fully achieved in Botswana. Many young people are still excluded from the work market, and a relevant gender gap was detected in these dynamics. The substantial absence of monitoring of the programs implemented by the government of Botswana, together with the lack of research and knowledge-based evidence on the topic, youth unemployment is an issue still not well studied nor addressed (Nthomang, Diraditsile, 2016). Nevertheless, the increase in initiatives and the recent rise of youth employment after the Covid-19 pandemic offers a promising outlook for Botswana and its path to inclusive development. Still, youth unemployment remains a significant issue in Botswana, with the consequence of leaving the country with a large portion of people economically inactive. These rates have enormous impacts on the country’s economy, from reduced productivity to the decline of GDP. On the social side, they are associated with high levels of political risk, insecurity, and future social instability. Seen the gender gap in the youth employment trend, female youth unemployment is an issue that contributes to the persistence of differentiated opportunities between females and males in the country. Likewise, studies have shown that unemployment in the early stages of life can substantially impact an individual's future economic prospects. Youth unemployment is linked to lower life expectancy and poor health, with side effects such as depression and stress, on the background of a significant increase in the incidence of poverty (Nthomang, Diraditsile, 2016). For the discussed reasons, youth employment, alongside its gender dimensions, must be fundamentally addressed in Botswana to bring the country on a more inclusive development path for a broader share of wealth and the future sustainability of its population. In conclusion, a final question is to consider about the efficiency of international organizations’ data and concepts of capturing the real picture in non-Western contexts, where informality is often a profitable yet invisible sector of the economy. 

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Visual References

Cover image: Thebe Fetogo. (2020). Blackbody Composite (Workman). [Oil on Canvas]. Ko-ArtSpace. https://ko-artspace.com/exhibitions/7/works/artworks-137-thebe-phetogo-blackbody-composite-workman-2020/ 

Figure 1: Thebe Fetogo. (2020). Blackbody Composite (Song of The Pick). [Oil in Canvas]. Ko-ArtSpace. https://ko-artspace.com/exhibitions/7/works/artworks-136-thebe-phetogo-blackbody-composite-song-of-the-pick-2020/ 

Figure 2: Thebe Fetogo. (2021). Self-Portrait as a Composite. [Oil on Canvas]. Ko-ArtSpace. https://www.artsy.net/artwork/thebe-phetogo-self-portrait-as-a-composite

Figure 3: Thebe Fetogo. (2020). Blackbody Composite (In Protest). [Oil on Canvas]. Ko-ArtSpace. https://ko-artspace.com/artists/30-thebe-phetogo/works/135-thebe-phetogo-blackbody-composite-in-protest-2020/ 

Figure 4: Thebe Fetogo. (2019). Lowe  (Male hill, Female hill). [Oil on Canvas]. Ko-ArtSpace. https://joburgfringe.com/thebe-phetogo/