COVID-19 pushes more Batswana towards informal sector

Throughout Gaborone, more street stalls, kitchen and food points are opening up. On social media, every other person is producing, trading and/or selling one commodity or another.

The economy appears to be slowly informalising, where people leave the formal sector for one reason or another and join informal trade. A year and a few months after first arriving in the country, COVID-19 has caused significant harm to individuals and communities both in economic and health terms.   The pandemic-induced recession, which saw the economy shrink by 7.9 percent last year, has shaken the country’s foundations triggering the worst jobs crisis since the 2008-2009 economic meltdown.Statistics Botswana estimates that at least 67,000 people lost their jobs and businesses last year, a conservative figure given that the data agency’s researchers were unable to fully conduct their assessments due to COVID-19 restrictions.