Mood's forecasts 7% drop for Botswana's economy
Tuesday, May 05, 2020
In a position announced recently, Moody’s however affirmed the country’s long-term local and foreign currency issuer ratings at A2, amongst the highest in Africa. The status means Botswana is one of the continent’s best borrowers and technically one of the best countries to raise international capital from.
In the latest update, Moody’s said the expected seven percent contraction would be due to the sharp slowdown in domestic demand and the disruptive impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on the mining sector, particularly diamonds.
That sounds like good news. But the report also warns that this may simply be because our digital economy is still young, not because we are safe. As more people shop, bank and pay online, criminals will follow.We Batswana do not need a report to tell us that danger is real. Many of us have heard of or fallen victim to KYC scams. A caller impersonates your bank or mobile money provider. They say they need to “verify” your account. They ask...