This study investigates the factors influencing survival of micro enterprises funded by the Department of Youth in Botswana. Data drawn from 271 business ventures established between the years 2005 and 2009 was analysed by using the Cox proportional hazards model (CPHM), a survival analysis technique. Results from the analysis suggest that businesses operated by younger owners endure a higher risk of failure in comparison to businesses owned by older entrepreneurs while firm size at start-up was also a significant determinant of survival. As a component of human capital, a personal contribution to the start-up capital and prior employment experience were also found to be significant predictors of business survival. Regarding gender of the business owner, the claim that female operated businesses face a higher probability of failure when compared to businesses run by males was not supported by the study results. The amount of funding from the DOY at start-up was found not to have any influence on the survival or failure outcomes for the business projects. Based on these findings, certain policy implications can be deduced. This study recommends that policy makers focus more on human capital requirements of beneficiaries of government business development initiatives as well as entrepreneur contribution to start-up capital in order to increase the success rate of the business ventures. In addition, the capacity to perform continuous monitoring and mentoring of government funded businesses ventures, particularly SMMEs, should be increased within the relevant departments or alternatively outsourcing of the requisite skills should be considered. Lastly, recommendation to replicate this research, at a larger scale in future is proposed.

This dissertation investigates the effects of exchange rate devaluation on non-mining exports in Botswana over the period 1984-2012 and the exchange rate pass-through effect to consumer prices. The economy of Botswana is significantly dependent on mineral exports, particularly the diamond. The dominance and over-reliance on diamond exports in the economy has led to low levels of economic diversification. Bank of Botswana has over the years devalued the pula, in attempt to stimulate growth of non-mining export industries and to enhance non-mining export competitiveness. However, raising export competitiveness this way may be inflationary and have no significant effect on non-mining exports. The study investigates the existence of cointegration between real effective exchange rate and the non-mining exports using the Johansen method of cointegration. The vector error correction model is used, to examine the short-run dynamics of the model. The results suggest that a positive long-run relationship exists between real effective exchange rate and Botswana’s non-mining exports. The results of the exchange rate pass-through suggest that nominal exchange rate has a short term relationship with consumer prices in Botswana. However this relationship does not hold over the long run.

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch Univeristy, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Decentralisation is a growing phenomenon worldwide. However, the detail of its implementation determines whether desired objectives are achieved or not. The thesis extensively interrogates this concept from economic, philosophical and political theoretical perspectives, with emphasis on the economic rationale. An international perspective has also been utilised for informing the investigation. Reference is made, in this regard, to both federal and unitary states of the developed and developing world. Botswana, a unitary and developing African country, has been found to be facing more or less the same challenges that undermine the desired benefits of fiscal decentralisation in all developing countries. However, political maturity (which is a prerequisite for decentralisation reforms) - a predictably stable commodity in Botswana -sets it apart from most other developing, if not all, African countries. With regards to decentralisation, a number of considerations framed the analysis. Firstly, the established consecutive approach to Botswana 's centralised economic planning and management has been found to be counter-productive to the financial decentralisation process. This has resulted in an over-regulated local public sector that is not conducive for taking stock of local initiative and being innovative in local affairs, mainly due to an ambiguous institutional framework. Secondly, an ad hoc financial transfer mechanism, that is neither stable nor predictable, clearly undermines integrated financial management and strategic fiscal planning at municipal level. Thirdly, a one-size-fits-all approach to the assignment of expenditure responsibilities to all municipalities, small and large, as well as urban and rural, serves as another constraint. Finally, a lack of stable and buoyant sources of own revenues, as well as inadequate capacity to utilise fully the already existing internal revenues, has created grant economies that survive on a principle of beggar-thyneighbour to actualise their mandates. This? in turn undermines their? significance for the electorates at local level who turn to the national government even for minor local issues that should be addressed within the areas of local jurisdiction.The thesis concludes with recommendations regarding a redesign of the institutional framework, intergovernmental financial transfers, expenditure assignments and generation of internal revenue. It is critically important that the Government of Botswana should develop a strong policy framework, build a strong consensus within the political and bureaucratic circles and coordinate and integrate these reforms through strong capacity-building mechanisms at local governments. Finally, the capacity of the national government to monitor the process cannot be overemphasised. That is, the decentralisation process should initially be centralised with gradual decentralisation processes to allow for flexibility well aware of the fact that decentralisation structures are always in transition. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Desentralisasie is wel 'n wereldwye verskynsel, maar suksesvolle implementering vereis aandag aan detail. Die desentralisasiekonsep word in hierdie tesis grondig ondersoek vanuit 'n ekonomiese, filosofiese, sowel as politieke perspektief. Die rol van ekonomiese beginsels in die desentralisasieproses geniet spesiale verwysing. Om die ondersoek so omvattend moontlik te maak is internasionale bronne geraadpleeg, afkomstig vanuit sowel federale as unitere state asook uit ontwikkelde en ontwikkelende lande. Botswana, 'n ontwikkelende Afrika land met 'n unitere staatsvorm, ondervind uitdagings wat, soos in enige ander ontwikkelende land, die voordele van fiskale desentralisasie ondermyn. Politieke volwassenheid en stabiliteit is van die voorvereistes waaraan 'n staatsbestel moet voldoen om desentralisasie suksesvol toe te pas. Gelukkig skiet Botswana in die opsig geensins tekort nie, inteendeel, dit is juis hierdie eienskap wat hom van die meeste - indien nie alle ander - Afrikalande onderskei. Heelwat oorweging is geskenk aan die bepalende faktore rondom desentralisasie. Botswana se gevestigde gesentraliseerde ekonomiese beplanning- en bestuurstelsel is gei'dentifiseer as die belangrikste teenproduktiewe struikelblok wat die finansiele desentralisasieproses ontspoor. Kenmerkend van 'n sentralistiese institusionele raamwerk is 'n oorgereguleerde plaaslike openbare sektor wat nie die skep van eie inisiatief en ondernemende bestuur bevorder of ag op die belangrikheid daarvan slaan nie. Tweede in belangrikheid is 'n onstabiele, ad hoc finansiele oordragmeganisme waarop daar nie peil getrek kan word nie en wat pogings om gei'ntegreerde finansiele bestuurspraktyke en strategiese fiskale beplanning op munisipale vlak te vestig, belemmer. Die derde hindernis is die owerhede se onwilligheid om te besef dat daar geen pasklare benadering bestaan wat by al die uiteenlopende tipes (in terme van grootte en ligging, plattelands tot stedelik) plaaslike besture verantwoordelik bestedingspraktyke sal vestig nie. Laastens is 'n wydlopende gebrek aan stabiele en lewenskragtige, eie inkomstebronne, sowel as onvoldoende kapasiteit om reeds beskikbare, interne belastinginkomste doeltreffend aan te wend, nadelig vir plaaslike regering. Pogings om te verseker dat 'n eie plaaslike raad so 'n groot as moontlike toekenning uit die staatskas ontvang, veroorsaak dat aanliggende rade dan nie hulle regmatige deel ontvang nie. Plaaslike rade se oormatige afhanklikheid van die sentrale regering vir finansiele oorlewing, ondermyn die legitimiteit van plaaslike politici. Laasgenoemde soek gewoon te maklik die oplossing vir 'n plaaslike probleem by die sentrale regering, eerder as om dit self aan te durf Die tesis sluit met aanbevelings oor 'n herontwerpte institusionele raamwerk wat kan lei tot sinvoller finansiele tussenregeringsoordragte, taakgedrewe uitgawes en die skepping van eie, interne belastingbron. Dit is van kritieke belang dat die regering van Botswana 'n stewige beleidsraamwerk ontwikkel en dan konsensus daaroor verkry tussen die politici en burokrasie. Die integrasie en ko-ordinasie van hierdie hervormings kan slegs geskied indien dit gepaard gaan met lewenskragtige kapasiteitsontwikkeling op plaaslike bestuursvlak. Die sentrale regering sal egter eweneens eie kundigheid moet ontwikkel om die proses te monitor, want die desentralisasieproses sal aanvanklik vanaf die middelpunt geskied en geleidelik uitkring. Dit sal buigsaamheid en begrip verg omdat desentralisasie in wese voortdurende oorgang impliseer.

Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Housing, specifically for low-income households in Botswana, has been observed to be one of the housing challenges encountered in the housing sector in Botswana. A number of this population group in the Gaborone area still live in very poor housing conditions, while some are renting in townships where few housing units are of proper quality. The availability of government schemes such as SHHA, which provides housing finance to low and middle-income groups, does not make the significant impact required to alleviate this. As few make use of the scheme, questions have been raised as to whether there are any constraints that hinder low and middle-income households in the use of the scheme, as well as the extent of the impact made by the scheme in delivering affordable housing in Gaborone. The objective of this paper is therefore to examine the SHHA housing finance scheme and further, to assess its effectiveness in housing delivery to low-income urban households. In order to ensure that the findings are reliable, the study examined the plot applications patterns in the SHHA area in Gaborone, the number of funds applications, and the amount disbursed, as well as the status of the SHHA housing projects. All the information is relevant to the past 5 years for SHHA applications, and 10 years for plot application. Commercial financial institutions financially exclude the low-income households, hence their need to access their own housing finance specific to their financial ability. In examining the SHHA scheme, the findings indicate that the main challenge lies in the land allocation, without which one does not have access to SHHA housing finance. There is a huge backlog for land allocation and the lack of plot ownership (due to a shortage of serviced land) means that low-income individuals are not able to effectively use the scheme, and this in turn hinders urban expansion in Gaborone and surrounding areas. Furthermore, there is less availability of housing finance programmes specific to the low-income population in Botswana. The government alone cannot afford to supply funding without a partnership with other private housing developers. The limited number of SHHA loans is making a small change, but is not effective enough to end poor shelters in Gaborone city. To conclude the study, it is recommended that improvement in land and housing policies is the only way to improve conditions. The policies should focus on the target group, and be specific about the partnership between the government and private developers and companies in order to attract them into housing development which will result in a slum-free Gaborone. The legal framework, and the land and housing policies, as well as the Housing Act should directly address private sector participation in housing development for both land use planning and housing.

The study examines the dynamic relationship between financial development and investment in three Southern African countries (Botswana, South Africa and Mauritius) during the period 1976 – 2014 using annual data. The motivation for selecting these countries is mainly based on their different characteristics in their economic and financial structure. Employing the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds test approach, the study examines the role of financial development in boosting investment; and the causal relationship between financial development and investment. The study makes use of composite financial development indices and divides financial development into bank-based and market-based financial development. In addition, both the impact of bank- and market-based financial development on investment, on the one hand; and the causality between bank- and market-based financial development and investment, on the other, were examined within the flexible accelerator model/framework. For both models, both bank-based and market-based financial development are assumed as having an accelerator-enhancing effect on investment. Empirical results show that, for Botswana, the impact of bank-based financial development on investment is positive in both the short run and the long run while no impact of market-based financial development is found for both periods. For South Africa, the effect of bank-based financial development on investment is found to be negative in the short run and has no impact in the long run. However, market-based financial development has only a positive effect on investment in the long run. For Mauritius, market-based financial development is the only type of financial development found to have a significant positive effect on investment, and only, in the short run. The results of the causality test show that: for Mauritius, both bank-based and market-based financial development tend to drive investment, both in the short run and in the long run; while- in South Africa, investment drives both bank-based and market-based financial development only in the short run. In Botswana, bank-based and market-based financial development and investment drive each other in the short run while investment tends to only drive bank-based financial development in the long run. Therefore, all three countries show differing results and tend to confirm that there are inter-country differences that determine the relationship between investment and financial development. The inter-country differences maybe as a result of the different stages of financial and economic development for each country. / Economics / D. Phil. (Economics)