Botswana - Services



The services sector contributes roughly 51 percent of GDP, and employs 71.5 percent of the formal labor force. Transportation, telecommunications, and tourism are the key sectors within the services sector, as is government. Transportation is dominated by passenger air travel and cargo rail. A number of important truck routes between South Africa and central and eastern African countries pass through Botswana. The tourism sector received 734,000 tourist arrivals in 1997, generating US$184 million. The tourism industry in Botswana is characterized by ecotourism. The country has great tourism potential given its desert scenery and plentiful wildlife. Botswana also has a developing financial services

Trade (expressed in billions of US$): Botswana
Exports Imports
1975 .142 .218
1980 .503 .692
1985 .728 .580
1990 1.784 1.946
1995 2.143 1.914
1998 1.122 1.120
SOURCE : International Monetary Fund. International Financial Statistics Yearbook 1999.

sector. There are currently a number of commercial banks, a savings bank run through the post office (which accepts very small deposits), a development bank, and the government's central bank. Botswana is hoping to become an international financial services center.

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