Botswana, a former British colony, gained its independence within the Commonwealth in 1966. While formerly being one of the poorest countries in the world (having a GDP per capita of only 70 USD in the 1960s), it has since flourished into one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

Mining, cattle and tourism are what the economy thrives on. Nowadays, Botswana boasts a GDP per capita of $18,825 a year, as of a 2015 statistic, making it one of the highest in all of Africa. Botswana’s transformation from a poor country to an upper middle-income nation has awarded it the title of fastest growth rates per capita, globally.

Compared to other countries within the same continent, Botswana possesses an extremely high level of economic freedom. The largest diamond mining company in Botswana is 50% owned by the government, which means that mining contributes largely to the country’s economy.

While the mineral industry provides 40% of all government profits, this South African nation is also seeing developments being made in the science and tech industry. The aim is to improve on technological developments in order to reduce the country’s dependency on diamond mining.

Botswana is now hoping to profit from the burgeoning tech industry, which has slowly been making headway. A recent article published on Botswana Daily News explores the way in which young adults have recently developed a software system, in order to aid the farming business. This is a perfect example of how these technological developments are gradually beginning to manifest. The management apparatus, nicknamed Montsamaisa, was created to observe farming habits, as well as provide feedback that keeps farmers well informed on sales performance.

During a recent interview, Mr Karabo Serojane, a Montsamaisa representative, has stated that the aim of the system is to provide a detailed description of what is happening in farms in such a way that it can also be accessed remotely. This software idea, which was given birth to in the little village of Mochudi, already boasts two registered commercial farmers, with over 400 cattle.

Mr Serojane went on to explain that the apparatus was designed containing primarily two components: the first being a control panel which allows the user to make immediate decisions, as well as view statistics, while the second aspect being a machine driven in real-time, with the aim of controlling the accuracy of the outcomes and keeping manual error to a minimum. The system was also built to ease the farmer’s everyday tasks, by increasing mobile compatibility, therefore facilitating remote access, keeping track of all stock-take records and giving detailed descriptions of the user’s farming habits.

The aim of the software, according to Mr Serojane, is to inspire young adults to nourish an interest in the industry of agriculture, which has slowly been in decline. The purpose of this development is to fuse the emerging tech industry with the agricultural trade. The latter has proven to be indispensable for Botswana’s revenue over the years.

The science and technology industry is not the only up and coming field for this South African nation. Botswana is also home to rich levels of culture, which can be easily seen through their music, food, sports and visual arts. The presence of multiple tribes in a country which is home to only 2 million people, makes Botswana one of the promising and compelling nations that should be next to visit on your bucket list!