Why do many rural households in Botswana depend on income from relatives working in towns or abroad?

Many rural households in Botswana rely on income from relatives working in towns or abroad primarily because local agricultural and livestock production is insufficient to sustain them.

The economic challenges facing these households include:

• Limited Agricultural Output: Very little of the country's land is suitable for cultivation, and few households produce enough crops to cover their own subsistence needs, let alone generate a surplus for the market.12
• Inequitable Livestock Ownership: While Botswana is traditionally known as cattle country, ownership is highly concentrated. Almost half of rural households own no cattle, and less than one-tenth of households own approximately half of the national herd.1
• Lack of Alternative Income: Government subsidies for cattle and crop production have generally benefited wealthier rural households, leaving many others—particularly those headed by women—without a reliable local source of income.1

Consequently, remittances from family members employed in urban centers or abroad serve as a vital survival strategy for many rural families.1