Zimbabwe now has a unique chance of turning things around. To figure out how, Zimbabweans could learn a lot from neighbouring Botswana, which has been a political and economic success story for many years now.

Marian L. Tupy has written a fact-filled comparison of the two countries for The American:

Botswana and Zimbabwe: A Tale of Two Countries

“Between 1966 and 2006, Botswana’s average annual compound growth rate of GDP per capita was 7.22 percent – higher than China’s 6.99 percent. Its GDP per capita (adjusted for inflation and purchasing power parity) rose from $671 in 1966 to $10,813 in 2005.”

You can watch or listen to a Cato Institute Policy Forum on Botswana and Mauritius moderated by Tupy on their website:

Botswana and Mauritius: African Success Stories

Featuring Lapologang Caesar Lekoa, Ambassador of the Republic of Botswana and Kailash Ruhee, Ambassador of the Republic of Mauritius. Moderated by Marian Tupy, Cato Institute.

On a continent scarred by political repression and economic underdevelopment, Botswana and Mauritius stand out. In 2007, Freedom House certified both countries as free, and the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of the World report found that Botswana and Mauritius had the two freest economies in Africa. According to the World Bank, the two also have—along with Seychelles—Africa’s highest per capita incomes. What explains that success? Why did the institutions of freedom take root in Botswana and Mauritius, while failing to do so in most other African countries? How do the two countries intend to maintain high growth in an increasingly globalized world? Please join us to hear our speakers elaborate on the past successes and future challenges facing Botswana and Mauritius.”