Unemployment in Botswana

This article is the first of a series of articles on Unemployment in Botswana. According to the Labour Force Module Report – Quarter 4: 2020, published by Statistics Botswana, unemployment, without doubt, is one of the major challenges facing Botswana and her people today. And the report makes for chilling reading. At the end of 2020, 732 914 people were employed in Botswana ( those over the age of 18 years). And a further 237 225 people were unemployed at this time; therefore, the unemployment rate for the total population was 24.5 percent.

And when we consider youth employment the figures are even more disturbing – the rate was 32.4 percent ( 35 percent for women). Thousands of new graduates are now roaming the streets and sending off countless application forms in their never- ending struggle to land a job. And yet most of their applications will most likely end up in some company’s trash bin. I know of one 23- year old lady in Francistown who has recently obtained a First Class degree in Hospital Management, but instead of getting a job related to her qualifications, she is now making cupcakes at home in order to survive! But the nation should be snapping up such well talented people! The odds clearly are stacked against them – many will just remain jobless and will become more disillusioned and depressed.

But before coming up with strategies that can help provide much- needed jobs and reduce the numbers of the unemployed, we first need to identify the causes of unemployment in Botswana. In other words, why are there so many Batswana today without jobs? The Opposition, together with many Batswana, may place most, if not all, of the blame on government for the lack of jobs. But I disagree! In my opinion, one leading cause of unemployment here is people; yes, people. And there are over two million of them in Botswana! Now that may come as a surprise to many readers.

A few years ago, I attended a workshop for lecturers at Tonota College of Education. It was organised by Botswana National Productivity Centre ( BNPC) and the main aim of the workshop was to come up with ways in which lecturers could be more productive in their work. The presenter began the workshop with a most unwelcome surprise. According to recent research on labour productivity within the 16- member SADC, it was found that Botswana’s labour force was the least productive! Now that surely is a wake- up call for Botswana!

The reality is that many Batswana need to change their mindset or attitudes to work! Many of us see going to work as an extension of our social lives – the workplace is where we can gossip with our friends, get our hair or nails done, drink tea, scan the Internet and social media for new friends… And many of us sadly steal from our employers! Mechanics steal tools from a service garage under the noses of their supervisors; cooks may load up oversized handbags with bags of maize meal and cooked chicken to feed their families back home; farm workers come at night and steal a few small goats from the kraal when the farmer is asleep… And we may think that it’s not a problem; after all, the boss has plenty of cash in the bank! Also, we should have some free perks on the job!

A few years ago, I decided to spend a few days at Lekhubu Island, located on Sowa Pan, north of Mmatshumo village. On arrival at the village, I visited the offices of the Gaing O Community Trust. Here I paid for two nights camping on the island. When I asked whether I could spend extra nights on the island, they told me that it would be no problem since I could pay the island guardian there. So, on the third day I paid for the extra night – P80. But after taking my money, the island guardian never gave me a receipt as proof of payment. No prizes for guessing where the money most likely ended up – into the guy’s pocket rather than into the Trust’s bank account!

Now when an employee steals from his employer that is theft! Period! And you do not need to be a pickpocket on the street, or break into someone’s car or

house when the owner is sleeping to be a thief. Now stealing from your boss means that the company will make less profit or even a loss. Hence such companies may now be forced to close down and their employees will now lose their jobs and join the ranks of the unemployed.

But it’s not only about stealing money or goods – employees may also steal time! Now when a person joins a company, he may sign a contract of employment with the company.

Such an agreement may state the monthly salary and any benefits or allowances ( such as overtime rates) that the employee will receive from his employer. However, the employee also has to fulfil his part of the bargain! So, if the contract specifies that the employee’s working hours are Monday- Friday, 8 am- 5 pm ( with a one- hour lunch break), then the employee should arrive on time and not leave before the stipulated time.

Employees need to realise that the company they work for has to make a profit for it to survive! Private companies are not charities and they have no obligation to hire people if they are not suitable.

And my parents once told me that the world does not owe you a living!

In other words, no one is obligated to give me a job. That meant that jobs will not appear as if by magic; one has to sweat to find work. I accepted their advice and have never since been unemployed!

Reliability and showing respect are also important characteristics of any productive employee. And unreliable, disrespectful workers will soon find themselves out of a job!

Since the start of the pandemic, I have been trying to find a reliable local person to come twice a month to clean up and weed my large compound. I pay P150- 200 a day depending on the work to be done and I also provide a cooked lunch with drinks.

I employed one guy who, when he had finished the work, complained that the money was not enough – he then started arguing with me saying that he wanted P400 a day. Sometimes he works for my neighbour and told me that he gets P400 a day there.

I later asked my neighbour about this and she told me that she gives P75- P100 a day to her workers. So, that was the first and the last time that the guy worked for me!

I then asked one local woman to do the same job for me. One day, she came and did the work and I then told her that she could work for me two days every month. She agreed to my proposal. I then gave her a date, two weeks later, when she should come again. She duly came and did the work. Thinking that she was a reliable person, I asked her to come back again two weeks later.

That was almost a year ago and since then I have never seen her. And she did not even have the courtesy to say that she no longer wanted the job. Now my question is: How can someone, who claims to have no money, turn down guaranteed work two days every month? I am really at a loss to explain why.

Before the pandemic, I employed a Zimbabwean guy to do the same work. He was quite reliable and he worked for me for some years.

However, early last year he paid a visit to Zimbabwe but was unable to return due to the pandemic and the resulting border closures and lockdowns. But when things normalise, then should he return to Botswana, he will get his job back!

This shows that I prefer to employ Zimbabweans rather than locals; in garden work, they are usually harder working, respectful, more reliable and less likely to bicker over pay. But only if their papers are in order!

The government is often criticised for not doing enough to attract Foreign Direct Investment ( FDI) into Botswana. For example, critics may say that setting up businesses here involves too much bureaucracy and is time- consuming. And our infrastructure is not up to the required standard.

But actually compared to other African countries, Botswana’s infrastructure is quite good – we have a tarred road network, and power and water are not usually in short supply, at least in the urban centres and larger villages. But these critics conveniently overlook the productivity of our labour force. Before setting up a business here, a foreign company will undoubtedly do some research into this. People may be qualified to do a particular job, but at the end of the day what is just as important is how productive people are. After all, the bottom line is that foreign companies come here to make money and profits; they don’t come here because they feel sorry for a Third World country like Botswana – they are not charities! And if they find our workforce ineffective they will then simply take their jobs elsewhere!

So, the message is clear – we need to be more productive in the workplace. Productive workers mean that more money will flow into a business and this, in turn, may lead the company directors to invest more money into the business.

The business will then expand and more workers will be hired and this will be good news for unemployed graduates!