Berkley Center

One of the quirks of traveling is finding the correct electrical adapters—Botswana triples this challenge, using European, UK, and South African plugs. It’s hard to predict a system—my fan and phone use the European plug, my kettle the South African, but the outlets in my dorm are UK style. Since none of them are compatible, I’ve amassed a pile of cheap converters, and every trip I try (and usually fail) to guess which ones I’ll need.

This sort of confusion is unsurprising for a country as dependent on imports as Botswana. Not able to produce ordinary household appliances on its own, Botswana imports most manufactured products, 75 percent, from South Africa. And these imports are not limited to electric gadgets—food, energy, and water are all largely imported as well. Dependence on a regional giant is not unique to the Southern African region, but Botswana’s trade imbalance carries serious practical consequences.

The country imports more than 80 percent of its food needs from South Africa—every single thing in grocery stores is from our neighbor, except maybe beef and pap (sorghum porridge). The government no longer seeks to raise food production to levels of self-sufficiency, trying instead to maintain national food security at affordable prices. Electricity is a regional problem; Botswana’s two power plants only generate about 25 percent of national electricity demand, and extensive delays to a new power plant mean that the near-daily power outages will likely continue for years. A large share of water is also imported, necessary in a desert country where agriculture still employs more than half the population.

The problem with such a high degree of external dependence is the uncertainty of future resource provision. Botswana has been unable to raise productivity and output in its agricultural sector to a degree sufficient for long-term food security. Climate change is already affecting crops and livestock grazing areas significantly, with the rainy season changing noticeably. The competition for land between crops, livestock, and wildlife (which ensures the success of Botswana’s most important service industry, tourism) is exacerbated by changing rain patterns, and the livelihood of thousands of Botswana is at stake.

South Africa’s dominance in the region is palpable anywhere you travel, but it is not without problems of its own—unemployment, energy scarcity, and the persistent struggle against HIV/AIDS drain resources in South Africa. Botswana is considered the second-most food secure country in Africa, and the quality of life here is undoubtedly better than in many areas of the continent. Education is near-universal, literacy is soaring, average household income is high, and women represent a growing portion of the workforce. Electrification programs have extended power to almost 80 percent of the rural population, and there are paved roads between major towns.

But the medium- and long-term problems of a transition from a resource-dependent economy (Botswana is the world’s largest producer of diamonds by value, but the supply is shrinking) to a diverse, sustainable national economy remain. Botswana is good at investing in human capital, but it must use the knowledge of its ready workforce to create a more progressive system for the future.

In the meantime, we make power outage plans on Monday and Wednesday nights, escaping the university’s darkness in favor of restaurants that have their own generators and fresh foods, all imported. Perhaps some of our University of Botswana classmates will lead the country through a sustainable transition, mindful that in the quest for scarce resources, regional cooperation is necessary.