by Miceál O’Hurley
ANTALYA — Meeting on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2025 with Botswana’s Minister of International Relations, Dr. Benyo Butale, it becomes immediately clear in his conversation that Botswana is not only an African success story but more accurately, “the African success story” of this era. His boast is not idle but demonstrably true. Beyond the voluminous numbers of glittering diamonds that are hewn from the nation’s considerable mining enterprises, few outside of the region appreciate that there is far more shines about Botswana than its precious minerals. Butale is keen to dispel myths and enlighten the un-informed and his enthusiasm and genuine love of his country makes for a compelling and enjoyable encounter.
Known for its democratic tradition since gaining independence from Great Britain in 1966, many critics held that Botswana had yet to confront the true test of democratic values – a peaceful transition of power. That all changed in 2024 when Duma Boko’s Umbrella for Democratic Change coalition took power. In a crushing election defeat over the Botswana Democratic Party, the only party to have ever led Botswana since independence, Botswana achieved the gold standard of democracies and assumed its rightful place as a developed and tested democracy by breaking the stereotype of African instability. In a truly magnanimous demonstration of democratic civility, Boko praised outgoing President Mokgweetsi Masisi for facilitating a genuinely seamless transfer of power.
According to Masisi, “I knew I had a responsibility to make sure we set a standard, because we have never had a change of government as in a different party taking over in this country. So the onerousness of the responsibility on me was massive and I had to lead”. Boko showed equally mature democratic leadership in response. Refraining from touting his coalition’s overwhelming election achievement in winning 57 of the parliament’s 61 seats, Boko reflected on Botswana’s almost singular achievement, “Botswana today, sends a message to the whole world and says democracy is alive here, democracy is in action. This is democracy in motion – this is democracy exemplified – sent as an abiding lesson to the whole world to say to the African continent — it must happen, it can happen and when it does, it is one of the most beautiful experiences a country can go through”.
The Republic of Botswana has clearly come of age as a shining example for other nations to follow – not just in Africa, but wherever democracy exists in our increasingly illiberal world. The transformation of the nation has not only been grounded in its now seasoned democratic tradition (earning the genuine if not begrudging respect of its continental competitors), but has permeated the entire nation’s cultural, economic, political and social zeitgeist.
Upon independence from the United Kingdom in 1966, the nation’s newly installed leaders faced the grim reality that it was one of Africa’s poorest nations. At the time, the entire country of some 577,866 people could only boast of a mere 22 university graduates. An equally appalling statistic of the mismanagement of Botswana under British rule was the fact that amongst the 581,730 square kilometres of the country only 19 kilometers of paved roadways. Boasts of infrastructure and development were alien in the newly democratic and independent Botswana of the mid-1960s.
Today, the transformation while not complete, stands apart from many of its Southern African counterparts in meaningful ways. A nation with less than two dozen university educated persons just over 50-years ago now guarantees its citizens free university education at the University of Botswana. If no programme of interest is available domestically, Botswana guarantees full tuition assistance to attend university abroad. Aside from traditional academic pursuits, Botswana’s National Policy on Vocational Education and Training (NPVET) makes equally remarkable commitments to vocational training. According to UNESCO, by 2011 Botswana was directing a full 21% of its entire government expenditures to education. In 2016, Botswana’s commitment of actual educational expenditures stood at and impressive 7.8% of its GDP resulting in only one European country outranking their outlay – Norway at 8%. Botswana maintains its durable achievement of placing in the Top 10 countries expending GDP on education each year. Inflation remains a critical watchword in the domestic and international economic environments.
The results of Botswana’s investment in education and its population are measurable. The World Fact Book indicates that as of 2024, 88.5% of Botswana’s population aged 15 and over could read and write and were correspondingly literate. By comparison, the National Literacy Institute reports just 79% of US adults nationwide were literate in 2024. A full 21% of adults in the US are deemed functionally illiterate as of the 2024 report. Some 54% of US adults have a literacy below a 6th-grade level (20% are below 5th-grade level). The US historically spent just 5.9% of its GDP on education with even less commitment expected under the Trump Administration’s dismemberment of the US Department of Education. By sharp contrast, Botswana has not only directed significant investment in educating its citizens it has done so with remarkable, measurable achievements that represent real value-for-money. Education is, and will undoubtedly continue to be a force multiplier in Botswana’s continuing economic and social transformation.
In context, Botswana’s growth has been nothing short of remarkable. Between gaining independence in 1966 through to the early-2000s, Botswana’s economy grew at over 7% per year, outpacing its neighours and most developed nations. At the time, Botswana was one of only 13 countries across the globe, and the only country in Africa. As more Botswanans gained middle-class status, the economy slowed in recent years, still resulting in a solid but less impressive 5.1% rate. Early indications are the economy may have slowed to a mere 3.1% overall in 2024. This is not surprising, however, as overall world GDP growth slowed significantly, benchmarking in the EuroZone at between 0.4%-0.9% between the 1st and 4th quarters of the same period.
Today, Botswana, like the rest of the world, is subject to the to-and-fro of the US economy which has been thrown into utter chaos through US President Donald Trump’s bombastic economic policies. Policies largely reliant on antiquated notions of tariff implementation to balance trade and generate tax revenues seem to have failed to produce Trump’s desired results (his claims the US suffers “unfair” trade disadvantages at the hands of the world community necessitating tariffs to rebalance trade are erroneous). Markets have reacted negatively to Trump’s erratic economic mis-adventurism. Contrary to Trump’s misleading claims, the US actually enjoys trade surpluses with most countries. However, Trump seems to set-aside the entirety of the service economy surpluses and focus only on manufacturing and mid-century industries to ground his claims that the US is a victim of the very globalisation that it helped engineer. And yet, Botswanan economic fortunes and stability may prove to be more buoyant than most countries, mainly because of its natural resources wealth, commodities in historic demand during economic downturns and given the West’s need for mineral access.
Botswana seems primed to exploit its natural resources in newer and more productive ways during this uncertain economic times. With the proven strength of its democratic institutions and critical advancements in both social and educational development, Botswana has developed a “seamless garment” approach to doing business and inviting direct inward investment. By creating a strong affinity between the public and private sectors, permitting, taxation, incentivisation and administration have become streamlined for foreign investors.
The Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) was created by an Act of Parliament in 2012 to create a unified platform with a mandate of investment promotion and attraction, export promotion, and development, including management of the Nation Brand. BITC also does “double duty” by accelerating domestic market expansion, promoting locally produced goods and engaging in regional trade and development. This “one stop shop” serves as a gateway to doing business in Botswana and is a model worth replicating elsewhere.
The results of Botswana’s promotional activities have been undergirded by its sound fiscal and economic policies. No idle boast – by 2021, Botswana had earned Standard & Poors’ highest sovereign credit rating – a remarkable achievement from a nation ranked amongst the world’s poorest just over 50-years previously. What made this possible? Sound management and leadership, certainly. Botswana has long adopted a “zero tolerance” posture for corruption, both governmental and corporate, making it a desirable destination for investment and reliability. Indeed, Botswana has consistently been ranked amongst the 3-least corrupt countries in Africa by Transparency International. While promoting investment primarily amongst the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) entire marketplace (over 393 million people), Botswana also manages to provides duty-free and quota-free access to the European Union (EU) market making it a destination of choice for investment and a “gateway” to doing business in Africa.
With the success achieved by critical development investment in its people and economy, the question naturally turns to foreign policy.
Botswana stood accused by some of its continental neighbours of engaging in Afropessimism – the dynamic of discounting African progress by comparative disparagement. This criticism seems understandable in a rapidly developing continent where achievement is un-even at best. Still, it is wholly misplaced given Botswana’s genuine, measurable and continuing successes. Notwithstanding, diplomats around the globe are contemplating how the newly seated government of President Boko may change Botswana’s foreign policy outlook. Naturally, they look to Butale and his Ministry of International Relations for answers.
At present, the Minister for International Relations, Dr. Phenyo Butale, a former journalist and media communications expert and sometimes civil society actor who earned his Ph.D. from Stellenbosch University, seems to be engaged in the wise process of “listening and reflection” process before detailing the new Government’s foreign policy changes and initiatives. Responding to questions by Mmegi, Botswana’s largest English-language media outlet, Butale said, “The ministry is actively advancing the codification of Botswana’s foreign policy. Currently, aspects of Botswana’s foreign policy are expressed through various government statements and ministerial actions. However, the establishment of a formal written policy is seen as essential to provide clearer objectives. This multifaceted strategy reflects a nuanced shift toward a more holistic and diversified diplomatic agenda, aimed at elevating Botswana’s profile on the global stage”.
Butale’s approach seems shrewd. In 2011, then Foreign Affairs Minister Mrs. Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi was forced to shelve a failed comprehensive Foreign Affairs Policy Framework she had laboured to introduce as her centrepiece of foreign relations work. Since then, Botswana’s foreign policy direction has seemingly been reactive, if not wholly adrift. Butale’s lack of haste to announce the Umbrella for Democratic Change government’s detailed foreign policy initiatives cannot therefore be taken as reticence or indecisiveness but as a genuine policy of being careful to construct good policy in a fragmented world. If anything, Butale and his government have been met with significant support on the international stage for their deliberate policy-making and prudence even if its direction remains uncertain.
No doubt, Butale and his government are presently expending considerable effort to balance the regional demand for a more Afro-Centric foreign policy to bolster the region and continent while engaging more significantly in the world where Botswana has earned a seat at the proverbial table of decision-makers and therefore stands to benefit most. What Butale unveils, in copy or by action over the coming period will surely gain the attention of partners domestic and international.
For now, his foray into the broader world of international diplomacy as observed from his engagements at the 4th edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2025, hosted by Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and held under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, proved Butale and Bostwana are in their element. The gathering of global leaders, policymakers, academics, business experts and representatives of media and civil society provided Butale a new platform upon which he showcased Botswana and made a persuasive case for its continued role as a leader in Southern Africa, the continent and with key world players.
Butale and Botswana are bell-weather actors to watch in the coming years.
