Economy powers past pre-COVID levels

Friday, July 07, 2023 | 280 Views |

Grinding on: Copper exports doubled in the first quarter of the year, compared to last year, helped by Khoemacau’s operations PIC: KHOEMACAU.COM

The economy expanded by 5.4 percent in the first quarter, powered by mining and greater electricity generation, to move past its pre-pandemic levels, although growth remains uneven across sectors.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures released by Statistics Botswana indicate that while all sectors monitored by the data agency recorded positive growth of more than 0.3 percent in the first quarter, electricity and mining and quarrying led the pack with 19.3% and 10.8% respectively.

The electricity sector’s performance was anchored in greater generation at the Morupule power stations, which saw the volume of electricity imports drop by 25.1% in the first quarter. Statistics Botswana estimates that generation at Morupule A and B increased by nearly 40% in the first quarter. However, the country suffered short-lived power blackouts in the second quarter due to transmission line failures.

Already have an active account? Log in here.

Or Sign up and get unlimited access to premium articles.