Botswana is a small, dry, crime-free country northwest of South Africa with 1,7 million people. Even though the country has a stable economy and strong currency compared to other countries in the SADC region, the HIV/AIDS rate promises no clear future for the country as most vulnerable people are the young energetic people.

Botswana is dependent on neighbouring South Africa. One reason for this is that Sir Seretse Khama Airport is a very small airport and most travellers from and to Botswana connect at the Johannesburg International Airport. If you move around Gaborone, the capital city, which is comparable to our Richards Bay you see different South African stores such as Shoprite, Game, Spar, etc. and prices are very high.
In such an expensive country you would expect employees to be earning big salaries. Yet most of the academics I spoke to at the University of Botswana, are not happy with their salaries. They say salaries are very low in Botswana compared to the goods prices.
The old age pension is 150 pulas a month which is equivalent to R200 a month - peanuts in an expensive country like Botswana.
Indeed it was quite interesting to share ideas with more than 35 senior journalists from all over the SADC region who attended the Energy and Environment workshop at Botswana University.
At this conference I realised how important South Africa is in the SADC region. For example, most of the neighbouring countries Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Swaziland depend on South Africa for their electricity.

Being part of Khwezi Community Radio has taught me that the beauty of life does not depend on how happy you are, but on how happy others can be because of you.

Thanks to MISA for paying all expenses for my trip to Botswana.