Impact of good governance on development and poverty in Africa: Botswana - A relatively successful African initiative

Abstract

Botswana was one of the poorest countries in Africa when it obtained independence in 1966. Owing to the
desolation that prevailed at the time, Botswana was considered a hopeless case. This article seeks to show
case how good governance impacted on development and poverty in Botswana. Botswana is one of the few
African countries that have remained intact since independence, despite the challenges it faced, and at the
same time was able to realize development and in turn reduced poverty by African standards. The paper
argues that good governance in Botswana facilitated development and impacted positively on poverty and
stability, to this extent, this has been a responsive democracy. The paper provides statistical evidence to
support this claim.