Midway through the second week of a Globalist trip, after spending several days in a secondary location, comparisons become inevitable. For the small but mighty crew in Gaborone, Botswana, comparisons are not just between Cape Town and Gaborone, but between South Africa and Botswana.
Botswana and South Africa are two of Africa’s premier safari destinations, but each offers a different kind of safari experience. Let’s delve into a comprehensive comparison of these two nations, examining their history, demographics, economy, and more.
Botswana vs South Africa: which will you choose?
General Information and Population
Let’s start with some of the basics: South Africa is a nation of 48 million and Cape Town is a city of 3.4 million. Botswana is a nation of only 2 million, with around 200,000 living in Gaborone, the capital city. In other words, the population of Cape Town is nearly twice the size as that of the entire country of Botswana.
South Africa's youthful population is gradually aging, as the country's total fertility rate (TFR) has declined dramatically from about 6 children per woman in the 1960s to roughly 2.2 in 2014. Today, South Africa's decreasing number of reproductive age women is having fewer children, as women increase their educational attainment, workforce participation, and use of family planning methods; delay marriage; and opt for smaller families.
Botswana has experienced one of the most rapid declines in fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa. The total fertility rate has fallen from more than 5 children per woman in the mid 1980s to approximately 2.4 in 2013. The fertility reduction has been attributed to a host of factors, including higher educational attainment among women, greater participation of women in the workforce, increased contraceptive use, later first births, and a strong national family planning program.
Read also: African Safari in Botswana: When to Go?
Historical Context
Another major difference is that of the history: South Africa has a history marked by apartheid and serious inequities that often align with racial divides. Some of the earliest human remains in the fossil record are found in South Africa. By about A.D. 500, Bantu speaking groups began settling into what is now northeastern South Africa displacing Khoisan speaking groups to the southwest. Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of present-day South Africa in 1652 and established a stopover point on the spice route between the Netherlands and the Far East, founding the city of Cape Town.
After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the settlers of Dutch descent (Afrikaners, also called "Boers" (farmers) at the time) trekked north to found their own republics, Transvaal and Orange Free State. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration from Europe.
In 1948, the National Party was voted into power and instituted a policy of apartheid - billed as "separate development" of the races - which favored the white minority at the expense of the black majority and other non-white groups. The first multi-racial elections in 1994 following the end of apartheid ushered in majority rule under an ANC-led government. South Africa has since struggled to address apartheid-era imbalances in wealth, housing, education, and health care.
Botswana never had a system of legal segregation and was never the object of intense desire and focus for imperial power players like Great Britain and the Netherlands. Seeking to stop the incorporation of their land into Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) or the Union of South Africa, in 1885, three tribal chiefs traveled to Great Britain and successfully lobbied the British Government to put "Bechuanaland" under UK protection. Upon independence in 1966, the British protectorate of Bechuanaland adopted the new name of Botswana.
Economic Overview
South Africa is a middle-income emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors; and a stock exchange that is Africa's largest and among the top 20 in the world. Economic growth has decelerated in recent years, slowing to an estimated 0.7% in 2017. Unemployment, poverty, and inequality - among the highest in the world - remain a challenge. Even though the country's modern infrastructure supports a relatively efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region, unstable electricity supplies retard growth.
Read also: Botswana or Kenya: Which is Better?
More than five decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, progressive social policies, and significant capital investment have created one of the most stable economies in Africa. Mineral extraction, principally diamond mining, dominates economic activity in Botswana, though tourism is a growing sector due to the country's conservation practices and extensive nature preserves.
Accusations of corruption and nepotism among government officials are common, as are serious fears of decline ands the threat of a economic collapse when diamond reserves-the driving force behind the success of the Botswanan economcy-run out in the next ten to fifteen years.
Safari and Tourism
If you’re wanting to see the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo), then South Africa is probably the best option. Unlike South Africa, Botswana has very few rhinos. However, for overall wildlife safaris, Botswana may just have the edge over South Africa (unless you include marine mammals…). Parts of the Okavango Delta and surrounding areas are among the best in Africa for seeing African wild dog, and the Delta’s array of antelopes (including sitatunga, red lechwe, sable, roan and so many more) has few rivals elsewhere.
Botswana has two of Africa’s signature landscapes: the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari Desert. South Africa, on the other hand, has the dramatic and hauntingly beautiful Drakensberg Mountains.
There’s little difference between Botswana and South Africa when it comes to accommodations. South Africa has a bigger selection of places to stay across a much broader geographical spread. Botswana has world-class lodges and tented camps, often in remote locations, that offer levels of luxury to suit most visitors. If you’re looking for a mid-range or budget safari, there is little doubt that South Africa has considerably more choice.
Read also: Southern Africa Honeymoon
Both Botswana and South Africa promise excellent weather conditions for going on safari. Johannesburg is the major airline hub for southern Africa, and many airlines from around the world fly into the city. This makes South Africa highly accessible for safari travelers.
Migration Patterns
Migration to South Africa began in the second half of the 17th century when traders from the Dutch East India Company settled in the Cape and started using slaves from South and southeast Asia (mainly from India but also from present-day Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia) and southeast Africa (Madagascar and Mozambique) as farm laborers and, to a lesser extent, as domestic servants.
After slavery was completely abolished in the British Empire in 1838, South Africa's colonists turned to temporary African migrants and indentured labor through agreements with India and later China, countries that were anxious to export workers to alleviate domestic poverty and overpopulation.
Batswana have been working as contract miners in South Africa since the 19th century. Most Batswana prefer life in their home country and choose cross-border migration on a temporary basis only for work, shopping, visiting family, or tourism. Since the 1970s, Botswana has pursued an open migration policy enabling it to recruit thousands of foreign workers to fill skilled labor shortages.
HIV/AIDS Impact
HIV/AIDS was also responsible for South Africa's average life expectancy plunging to less than 43 years in 2008; it has rebounded to 63 years as of 2017. HIV/AIDS continues to be a serious public health threat, although awareness-raising campaigns and the wider availability of anti-retroviral drugs is stabilizing the number of new cases, enabling infected individuals to live longer, healthier lives, and reducing mother-child transmissions.
Today Botswana has the third highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the world at approximately 22%, however comprehensive and effective treatment programs have reduced HIV/AIDS-related deaths. The combination of declining fertility and increasing mortality rates because of HIV/AIDS is slowing the population aging process, with a narrowing of the youngest age groups and little expansion of the oldest age groups.
Comparative Table
Here’s a concise tabular overview of numerous data points for Botswana and South Africa:
| Feature | Botswana | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| Population | ~2 million | ~48 million |
| Capital | Gaborone | Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial) |
| Economy | Diamond mining dominates | Diverse; strong financial, legal, and transport sectors |
| HIV/AIDS Prevalence | ~22% | High; significant public health threat |
| Safari Focus | Okavango Delta, Kalahari Desert | Big Five, Drakensberg Mountains |
Map of Southern Africa, highlighting Botswana and South Africa.
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