A country in the process of modernization
Much of the culture in Botswana has been built up over time through the habits and customs of the majority tribal group, the Tswana. Livestock is one of the identity values that characterizes the country and its people. An economic asset that makes Botswana an important and high quality exporter of beef to European countries. Minority tribal cultures have also managed to become an integral part of the dominant culture, as evidenced by the Bayei fishing methods now practiced and recognized by most Botswanans. In recent decades, Western culture has been creeping in on the more traditional customs and practices inherited from the tribal way of life. Television, the development of tourism, access to technology and consumer goods imported from South Africa are widening the gap between the different social classes. Westernization is affecting the urban areas, leaving behind traditional rituals, beliefs and skills in favour of a consumerist lifestyle. Aspects of culture derived from tribal beliefs are now in danger. However, access to technology has not only had negative effects, as many infrastructures have improved the quality of life of the inhabitants.
Education, a government priority
Since independence in 1966 and the discovery of diamonds that generated new sources of revenue for the state, the government has made great efforts to guarantee the right to education for all its citizens, devoting almost 10% of its public expenditure to national education. Since schooling was free, almost all children from the age of seven went to primary school. However, some of the costs of schooling must still be borne by the family, especially for those living in small villages who must move some of their members to the city with the children. At the end of primary school, a selection is made with an exam from which only those with high marks will go on to secondary school. School fees were introduced, along with a system of scholarships for the less fortunate. For three years, pupils studied at the community junior school, the equivalent of the French collège, and at the end of this curriculum they took another exam. The most successful of them can then go to the senior secondary school, which corresponds to the French lycée, but for only two years. This is, of course, the "royal" route to university. Technical colleges, the equivalent of CAPs and other more technical courses, take in the bulk of schoolchildren who will find there an applied and more professionally oriented training. The best students go on to study at the University of Botswana, based in Gaborone, or abroad on government or foreign scholarships, notably in the United States, England and South Africa. But unlike many African countries, once they finish their studies, Botswanans return home, often to set up businesses
The place of women
In this traditionally patriarchal society, the place of women was originally limited to that of the housewife. They had few rights and were under the orders of the head of the family. However, in this modernizing country, morals are tending to change, and it was not until 2004 that the law on marital authority was finally abolished. Later, in October 2012, it was another victory for women when the Constitutional Court set a precedent by allowing women to inherit. Previously, according to a customary law enshrined in the Constitution, only the men in a family had full inheritance rights upon the death of a father or husband. But attitudes are gradually changing, as is the role of women in society. With higher school enrolment and literacy rates among women, Botswana is an exception in Africa. This is linked to the central role given to women in the management of the home and domestic affairs. Here, perhaps more than anywhere else in Africa, the proverb applies: "The man decides by day what the woman has suggested to him by night In addition, parity in government and large companies is gradually being established and there are a significant number of women ministers and directors. It is estimated that nearly 35% of businesses are run by women entrepreneurs, with government support. Moreover, in order to find a balance between family and professional life, almost half of women use contraceptives to control their fertility
Marriage, a tradition in perdition
Traditionally, Tswana men are polygamous and all family members lived in the same compound. Today, this practice is falling into disuse in favour of monogamy which has almost replaced it. However, with the evolution of morals, Botswanans marry less and less. The reason? Marriage is expensive, you will be told! Therefore, if people get married, it is generally not before thirty years. This is because Botswana's culture and mores accept relationships and even children outside of marriage without much difficulty. Marriage is so expensive because the groom has to pay a dowry to the family of his beloved. The dowry was traditionally paid in cows, but it is common for it to be paid in pulas today. The government has now set a maximum dowry limit of BWP 12,000 (€900) to encourage marriage. In addition to this dowry, there are the costs of the traditional ceremony, but also of the "white" ceremony in the West, which young Botswana women are so fond of today. This is an important financing that only a part of the population can afford
The San, a discriminated people
Like many of the original peoples, the San had an unenviable fate. Their flexible and unimposing territoriality was quickly challenged by the arrival of farmers, first Bantu, then white from the 17th century onwards. As the other peoples expanded, the San were confined to the most hostile lands, uninhabitable for the others. In doing so, their fate was dramatic. Driven out of their territory where their precedence was largely ignored, San and Khoi groups tried to resist. Fighting guerrilla battles, armed with their poisoned arrows, they tried to counter the raids of the settlers who considered them as vermin. Many hunters were simply massacred, others were sent to prison. Children were often enslaved on farms and women could be raped or forced into prostitution. Moreover, in the colonized territories, hunting was forbidden to them under the pretext that the game belonged to the English crown. Soon the San, who no longer had a territory, were reduced to beggars and, with the help of alcohol, they lost all vestiges of social prestige and sank. Today, the daily life of a large part of the San population is very sad and their traditional way of life does not exist anymore. Very few San still live this way of life in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. In the cities like Ghanzi or in the relocation villages, many of them die slowly from alcoholism. Prostitution is not inexistent and integration into Botswana society is not easy. The San who wish to lead a modern life in Botswana can do so, although it is true that they leave with a definite handicap, given their general poverty. San who wish to live a more traditional lifestyle, often blending the benefits of modernity, can also do so by working on private concessions or in community areas. In addition, several pharmaceutical companies use and pay for San knowledge to develop new remedies: devil's claw for osteoarthritis, for example. Likewise, travellers' encounters with a San group involve income brought in by the visitor, which is redistributed within the group.
AIDS, a scourge for the country
In addition to education, the construction of an effective health system was one of the government's major challenges at independence. As a result, a network of primary health care facilities was developed throughout the country, including hospitals, clinics, health posts and mobile points. In the public health system, primary health care is even free for all Botswana citizens, which promotes access to health for the poorest populations. However, in the late 1990s, the country was hit hard by the AIDS epidemic, with one of the highest infection rates in the world. Life expectancy dropped from 67 years in 1991 to 40 years in 2000 and Botswana plunged into one of the biggest health crises in its history. Faced with a national emergency, the government set up various programmes to combat the spread of the epidemic. In 2002, Botswana became the first African country to distribute free antiviral drugs to its citizens. Two years later, routine screening was introduced in hospitals to enable the population to detect the disease as quickly as possible. Yet, with a prevalence rate of about 22% in 2016, the country is far from ending the public health threat posed by the AIDS epidemic. But the government's will is strong and it is multiplying strategies, between prevention campaigns and generalized treatment for people living with HIV. Today, condoms are no longer a taboo accessory and are even touted on billboards. Drugstores compete with each other in terms of choice and fancy models, nightclubs have ATMs, and in tourist offices and public toilets, they are distributed free of charge. In addition, since 2019, Botswana has extended free antiviral treatment to foreign residents. A decision welcomed by the UN as a government's determination to do everything possible to respond to HIV and end the epidemic by 2030.
