COUNTRY IN FOCUS
Botswana needs to expand its scope to remain competitive in the African
mining and exploration segment and it is doing exactly that, writes
Nicolaas C Steenkamp.
B
otswana was first established as the Bechuanaland Protectorate. The
region was never incorporated into a greater union and finally gained
independence in 1964, when the capital moved from Mahikeng in South
Africa to the newly-established Gaborone.
Since independence there has been a stable political system
and a democratically elected national government that
contributed to the high ratings the country has
received over the last couple of decades. The
election in 2019 was heavily contested
and some post-election
rumblings endured but
it remains peaceful.
The strengths of
Botswana
A relatively flat
countryside,
with the
Kalahari Desert
covering
nearly 70%
of the land
surface, is a
prominent
feature.
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African Mining April 2020
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