Botswana should pursue its goal of reducing food imports through increased domestic agricultural production, but should avoid extending restrictions on agricultural and food imports from neighbouring countries, says Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz).
By Maile Matsimela, digital editor at African Farming
Sihlobo’s comments follow calls by the leadership of the Bank of Botswana, including Governor Lesego Moseki, for the country to accelerate food import substitution alongside other consumer goods, as reported by The Botswana Gazette.
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Productivity, not protectionism
According to Sihlobo, the objective of strengthening domestic food production is both understandable and achievable. South Africa has followed a similar path over the past decade, particularly by expanding soybean production and reducing dependence on imports.
However, he argues that the most sustainable route to greater food security lies in improving agricultural productivity rather than restricting regional trade. “I think the best approach will be through leaning on some of the farm technologies that South African agribusinesses can offer,” Sihlobo says.
He points to existing regional collaboration as an example, noting that the Citrus Growers’ Association has already been sharing improved citrus cultivars across Southern Africa to accelerate production and promote shared prosperity.
Sihlobo believes this model could be expanded to include a wider range of agricultural technologies, inputs and expertise that would help Botswana build its own productive capacity while strengthening regional agricultural development.
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Regional trade must be protected
What should be avoided, he says, is the continued use of import restrictions on South African fruit and vegetables. “The regular blockages of vegetable and fruit imports from South Africa run counter to the spirit of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” he says.
Sihlobo cautions that while import substitution is a legitimate policy objective, the measures used to achieve it must be carefully designed.
“So, indeed, the Bank of Botswana is raising an important issue of import substitution in food, but the policy response to achieve this will need to be carefully crafted to avoid disrupting regional food supplies and triggering even domestic inflation in Botswana,” he says.
Shared prosperity through agriculture
He adds that regional cooperation, technology transfer and investment in agricultural productivity offer a more sustainable path to food self-sufficiency than trade restrictions, while preserving the benefits of regional economic integration.
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