In its 2015 survey of African workers, South

Africa’s Rand Merchant Bank found Batswana

to be the laziest on the continent.

Sunday Standard
30 Oct 2017

Work Ethic
In the 2017-2018 Global Competitiveness Report, Botswana scores the
worst among the 137 countries that are tracked by the World Economic
Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) on 12 pillars of economic
competitiveness. From a list of 16 factors, respondents to the World
Economic Forum’s Executive Opinion Survey were asked to select the
five most problematic factors for doing business in their country and to
rank them between 1 (most problematic) and 5. The results were then
tabulated and weighted according to the ranking assigned by respon-
dents. One of those factors is “Poor work ethic in national labour force.”
With a score of 19, Botswana’s national workforce (which would in-
clude those in the public and private sector as well as NGOs) emerge as
standard bearers of the poorest work ethic in the world survey. Also do-
ing poorly are Trinidad & Tobago (15.9), Brunei (14.4), Sri Lanka (11.1),
Liberia (10.8), Bhutan (10.5), Seychelles (10.1), Malta (9.8), Georgia (9.7),
Mauritius and Vietnam (9.5), Namibia (9.3), Bahrain (9.0), Kuwait (8.7)
and United Arab Emirates and Jamaica (8.6).-
The Global Competitiveness Index 2017-2018 edition
Labour productivity is one of the key features underlying structural transformation on the African continent, an economic
report on Africa complied by the United Nations Commission (UNECA) says. Botswana as a country is judged by the pro-
ductivity of its workforce and the ease of doing business . According to the World economic forum report on the ease of
doing business Botswana is ranked 67/137 countries. The reason for this ranking is its standing on such factors as Gov-
ernance, Institutions, Infrastructure, Macroeconomic Environment , Education Etc. However the overall rating does not
do Botswana a lot of good because the major factor looked at by potential investors “The work ethic of its labour force ““
Botswana still lags behind and it is ranked worst in Sub Saharan Africa

Before we get into detail of the WEF report , a look at the published stories in local media.
Foreign people have always complained about the way Batswana are so relaxed when it comes to issues of productivity.
There is a saying that goes like, ‘there is no hurry in Botswana,’ simply translating that everything has to be taken with ease,
including rendering services and doing your share of labour. Of Africa’s labour force surveyed in 2015 for an investment
research report, Botswana’s stands out for its lack of appetite for work
BOTSWANA TOPS AFRICA’S LAZIEST WORKERS.
Jan 05 2016
Foreign people have always complained about the way Batswana are so relaxed when it comes to issues of productiv-
ity. There is a saying that goes like, ‘there is no hurry in Botswana,’ simply translating that everything has to be taken
with ease, including rendering services and doing your share of labour. Of Africa’s labour force surveyed in 2015 for an
investment research report, Botswana’s stands out for its lack of appetite for work. There are lazy workers in all African
countries but Botswana is a special case when it comes to the most problematic factor for doing business. Among all
the countries that were surveyed, Botswana is the only country among those surveyed where labour productivity is an
issue. The report says that the most problematic factor for doing business in the country is poor work ethic in national
labour force.-www.botswanayouth.com/?s=Botswana+Tops+Africa%E2%80%99s+Laziest+Workers.

BOTSWANA WORKERS EMERGE AS AFRICA’S LAZIEST IN REPORT

BASHI LETSIDIDI :27 SEP 2015
Of Africa’s labour force surveyed in 2015 for an investment research report, Botswana’s stands out for its lack of appetite
for work.

To be clear, the RMB Where to Invest in Africa 2015 report doesn’t have a category for who works the hardest and who
is the laziest. Common sense says that there are lazy workers in all African countries but Botswana is a special case when
it comes to the “most problematic factor for doing business.” Such factors are “Access to financing” (for example, Burkina
Faso, Burundi and Cabo Verde), corruption (Angola, Benin and Cameroun ), resolving insolvency (Central African Repub-
 lic, Comoros and Equatorial Guinea), paying taxes (Congo Brazzaville and Togo), protecting investors (Djibouti), enforcing
contracts (Democratic Republic of Congo), policy instability (Egypt and Tunisia), foreign currency regulations (Ethiopia and
Malawi), inefficient government bureaucracy (Libya), policy instability (Madagascar), inefficient government bureaucracy

HENDIT lAMET VE
(Mauritius and Morocco), inadequately educated workforce (Namibia and South Africa), trading across borders (Niger),
inadequate supply of infrastructure (Nigeria), getting credit (Sao Tome and Principe), dealing with construction permits
(Sudan) and high tax rates (Swaziland). Among all the countries that were surveyed, Botswana is the only country among
those surveyed where labour productivity is an issue. The report says that the most problematic factor for doing business
in the country is “poor work ethic in national labour force.”

Botswana has always had a unique labour productivity problem. During his administration, Sir Ketumile Masire famously
bestowed the prestige of his presidential office on this problem by establishing the Botswana National Productivity Cen-
tre (BNPC) in 1993. The Center’s statutory mandate, as outlined on its website, is “to enhance the level of productivity
awareness as an advocacy function and to enable individuals and organizations through training and consulting to be
productive and competitive.” Sadly though, as a University of Botswana study shows, the reality is that not one produc-
tivity intervention scheme has produced the desired results and in his 2015/16 budget speech, the Minister of Finance
and Development Planning, Kenneth Matambo, lamented the low levels of labour productivity in Botswana:-http://www.
sundaystandard.info/botswana-workers-emerge-africa’s-laziest-report

BATSWANA HAVE THE WORST WORK ETHIC IN THE WORLD – REP

30 Oct 2017
In its 2015 survey of African workers, South Africa’s Rand Merchant Bank found Batswana to be the laziest on the
continent. The problem is actually more acute than that.
In the 2017-2018 Global Competitiveness Report, Botswana scores the worst among the 137 countries that are tracked
by the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) on 12 pillars of economic competitiveness. From a
list of 16 factors, respondents to the World Economic Forum’s Executive Opinion Survey were asked to select the five most
problematic factors for doing business in their country and to rank them between 1 (most problematic) and 5. The results
were then tabulated and weighted according to the ranking assigned by respondents. One of those factors is “Poor work
ethic in national labour force.” With a score of 19, Botswana’s national workforce (which would include those in the public
and private sector as well as NGOs) emerge as standard bearers of the poorest work ethic in the world survey. Also doing
poorly are Trinidad & Tobago (15.9), Brunei (14.4), Sri Lanka (11.1), Liberia (10.8), Bhutan (10.5), Seychelles (10.1), Malta
(9.8), Georgia (9.7), Mauritius and Vietnam (9.5), Namibia (9.3), Bahrain (9.0), Kuwait (8.7) and United Arab Emirates and
Jamaica (8.6).
WEF’s interest in labour productivity has to do with the fact that it impacts on business. A University of Botswana study by
Professor John Makgala and Dr. Phenyo Thebe (“There is no Hurry in Botswana”: Scholarship and Stereotypes on “African
time” Syndrome in Botswana, 1895-2011”) found that this lack of productivity has frustrated effort to attract foreign
direct investment. Interestingly, there was a time when, according to literature that the authors quote, Botswana’s civil
service “was generally believed to be the most efficient in the whole of the African continent.”
On a past trip to Singapore, former and late President Sir Ketumile Masire gained an appreciation on the efficiency of the
country’s workers. Where a Motswana factory worker would produce one shirt within a given period of time, a Singaporean
counterpart would produce six within the same period.
“This was productivity not in theory but in demonstrable terms. When we say we are not productive, this is what we
meant,” Masire recalled to Sunday Standard in 2015 of this experience which would lead to Botswana benchmarking with
Singapore and delegations from the two countries traveling back and forth.
Http://www.sundaystandard.info/batswana-have-worst-work-ethic-world-–-report.

The highlighted articles shed a light in to the Labour force’s work ethic. The situation is no different in government and
private departments as employees tend to take a lackadaisical approach to work and production at whole. Some are okay
with getting the barest work done and get the salary at the end of the month. Here are lazy workers in all African countries
but Botswana is a special case when it comes to the most problematic factor for doing business.
This laziness is monetarily rewarded, something that workers take great comfort in. The accounts clerk who knocked off at
1415 hours on Friday leaving behind a Mount Everest of unprocessed invoices, is today making merry at a jazz session and
when he wakes up at 11 am tomorrow, will call in sick before heading off to the nearest drinking hole to pluck the hair of
the dog that bit him. Not only will he get his full pay for the days that he didn’t work, he will also stay employed, qualify for
a pay raise and may even get a promotion down the road.
 Botswana is an educated nation with an adult literacy rate standing at 85.7%.Botswana has a high school enrollment rate of
98.32 which places it at position 51/137 countries. Botswana is the only country in Sub-Saharan Africa that offers A broad
based higher education sponsorship to its citizens with the government sponsoring 138,969 students to study locally in
HENDIT lAMET VE

three years, 48,264 of them were placed during 2013/14; 48,000 during 2014/15; and the remainder during 2015/16. The
budget was P1.8 billion, P1.7 billion and P2.3 billion respectively. This investment in education means that Botswana is a
highly educated nation and the country has a high number of graduates, but this is not translating to increase in productivity

On one of his foreign trips abroad the late former President Of Botswana Sir Ketumile Masire was inspired by the Work ethic
and productivity of Singapore (it is argued it takes one Singaporean Worker to do a task that takes six Batswana) . He was
so moved by this work ethic and looking at his own home country he set up the Botswana National Productivity Centre in
1993 with a mandate to:
• Stimulate and generate productivity consciousness in Botswana
• Promote increased productivity in all sectors of the economy
• Improve and develop standards of management in all aspects and at all levels
• Promote good/labour management relations
• Foster equitable productivity gain sharing between management, workers and consumers.
In 2017 , Twenty four years later , the country’s work ethic is still as poor as when it was established if not worse. A clear
sign of this productivity problem , the Botswana National Productivity Centre itself last updated their annual report Online
in 2014 which is a symptom of a much bigger problem. If the productivity Centre itself is failing to keep up to date records
as well as fail to achieve their mandate what of the greater Botswana. It would be expected that 20 years after the center’s
establishment the Country’s work Ethic and productivity will be on the rise but instead the Following was Said
“The key emerging trend from several productivity indicators from Botswana Productivity Statistics Report is that the
country’s productivity has slackened compared to previous decades with total factor productivity averaging -2.6 per cent
over the period 2003 to 2012.”
Asked on his thoughts on the Local Work Ethic The Late Sir Ketumile Masire States that “If you look at the life of pastoralists,
they don’t have a good work ethic,” he had said. The example he had cited was that beyond sinking a boreholes for their
livestock, letting out cattle to pasture and doing some other undemanding work, most of the time pastoralists are just lazing
about as their cattle graze untended in the bush. By Masire’s analysis, this is the work ethic that has been bequeathed to
modern-day Botswana.
As a University of Botswana study shows, not one productivity intervention scheme by the government has produced the
desired results. In his 2015/16 budget speech, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Kenneth Matambo,
lamented the low levels of labour productivity in Botswana. The best performers in terms of work ethic in the national labor
force are Zimbabwe and Venezuela underpinned by a perfect score

WEF Findings
In all other factors and pillars Botswana has performed better than its counterparts in sub Saharan Africa but it remains

the only country in the world where potential investors

mentioned the Work ethic as a problem and potential barrier
to investment in the country. This is a problem for existing
companies and potential investors.
Some companies have relied on Ex-pat labour but this is
unsustainable for the country as its own workforce will need
to play a part in the development of their own country and it
means the vast majority of local graduates will be unemployed.
A serious look will need to be taken to fix the work ethic
problem in the country. As results show it is not enough to
have a dedicated unit to build productivity in Twenty years
almost nothing was achieved, neither is it enough to open
universities and sponsor Students as we will end up with the
same people who have a poor work ethic.

A proactive approach will need to be taken from a grassroots level. It is not enough to know a problem exists , neither is it
enough to look at history and blame the old way of doing things for the current problem yet the economy and livelihoods
have moved from pastoralists to an advanced technological and industrial economy.
The work ethic issue is not a government only problem, and protectionist laws will not help either but rather increase the
problem as the issue of rewarding inactivity still remains. From primary school, to tertiary education the government has
subsidized the students, which is good in terms of human resource development but at the same time it encourages a
lack of innovation and work ethic development in the early stages of life as it leads to an over reliance on the government,
people know that they need to pass with 35 points or more and their education, accommodation is catered for, after four
years of varsity one graduates but has not had to work for anything in their lives. You expect the same people to start being
productive and pro active in the work place which will be a lie, work now becomes that boring chore one has to do and we
will do just the barest minimum to get buy and see myself at the end of the month.
Other countries on the other hand, do not have the spoon-feed mentality and a hard work ethic is instilled from early on.
University students are encouraged to take on part time work to subsidize their living allowances, by the time they get into
the work field the are already prepared for the real work world. Botswana should instead of offering increased allowances
be offering part time employment opportunities for the students so that they have a working knowledge accompanying
their head knowledge.
Kgomoco J Kgomotso says “ Batswana are not by their nature lazy, they are made lazy by those that nurture in them the
entitlement mentality generally referred to by many as “athama ke go jese”(not so good a description but sounds appropriate
in the circumstance). The situation is getting worse and the wonder is how it’s going to manifest as the feeder resource
diminishes. We now onto our reserves and there’s no guarantee that what we have taken will be put back to continue to
cushion our economy. If we don’t stop this consumer with no production mentality we will be finished. Our grandparents
used to provide food for themselves however subsistent”
The issue of poor work ethic has been around and no other place is it more apparent that in our Government departments,
the most common Excuse given is “system e down” of the system is down. Whether or not this is the case one will never
know but the fact remains everyday hundreds of people report for work in government departments and do not provide the
service due to their clientele because of the system being down. The system is down problem has been around for years
and there seems to be no issue rectifying it. One might argue that the system being down does not constitute poor work
Ethic but is a result of the it infrastructure. But i beg to differ it is actually a symptom of the poor work ethic, A system is set
up and run by it personnel whose sole mandate is to ensure that the system runs smoothly , when you see IT infrastructure
failing and going for in excess of three weeks being down then there is a serious problem. Entire government departments
cannot be shut down because of the system being down. In some countries a few hours of the system being down is
unacceptable and people work overtime to ensure that the system is back up and running. In the event of the system being
down for any reason a back up plan is in place to keep the business going and the clients being serviced. Every other day on

Facebook pages such as Consumer Watchdog Botswana, Name & shame ‘em etc there is a complaint about poor service
in government departments with the excuse being The system is down. Below is a picture of what one can expect on a visit
to a government department.
Below are a few such complaints, and one complaint usually results in hundreds other stories that are similar
Department of Road Transport and Safety, ......this is disappointing customer service. Went to Maruapula this morning
and was told the usual “system e down” crap, came to BBS and there is only one open counter to help close to 200 people
(see picture). And the excuse they give is people are on leave! The whole day spent on renewing a Class B driver’s license
while I should be in the office enriching the nation or sniffing for a trail of stimulus se sa bone se!-Bolokang Bols Pema‎
Consumer Watchdog Botswana May 9, 2016 ·
What is this “system e down”? It seems to be an endemic technological disease whether in government or in private sector.
I thought the bragging of being connected to the fibre optic networks was going to resolve this. It’s just to common to
ignore.

You would think this system e down issue is relegated to government departments but it transcends across the public and
private sector barrier. Similar reports and issues are recorded across the board and even some private companies seem to
have the same “system” issues. Below is one such complaint from a customer.

Good morning, I need assistance here. I had an insured car and it was involved in an accident, a taxi man didn’t stop at
the stop sign and hit me, lucky enough the police were oncoming and saw the ordeal. So here is my story; I took police
report to my insurance company plus the car, it was assessed and I was told it’s overwritten; I was given a chance to buy
it from them instead I asked for the monies, all this happened in February. I am still being told the system is down and
 so they can’t process my payment, they are still charging me monthly installments and I was told I’ll be paying for the
insurance of my written off vehicle until end of September!-Rati Jackie June 3, 2017

One has been waiting for the system to be up for four months,k four month s waiting for a service and it has still not
been provided its either the IT staff is incompetent or it has become an excuse to support our poor work ethic and an
idea that people will not question when told the system
is down. They will accept that. It has become the norm
in any industry in Botswana for people to be told the
system is down and not get the service they are paying
for.
Time Management
It has been said “one O’clock African time means anything
between 1300 to 1500”, Africans as a whole have had no
regard for time and the value of time. Many times people
have been known to report for meetings more than two
hours late. It is also said there is no hurry in Botswana.
The way people manage their time and the of others is
one factor that shows the work ethic. In countries where
the work ethic is high time is valued, Japan for example is
one country known for its serious respect for time.

A JAPANESE RAIL COMPANY ISSUED AN

OFFICIAL APOLOGY AFTER A TRAIN LEFT 25
SECONDS EARLY
A Japanese railway company has issued an official
apology after one of its trains departed the station 25
seconds early. The West Japan Railway Company’s
apology came after one of its express trains left the
platform at Notogawa station in central Japan at
7:11:35 a.m., instead of the scheduled 7:12 a.m.,
on May 11. The train conductor misunderstood the
departure time and closed the train doors ahead of
schedule, according to the company’s press release.
The early departure didn’t affect any other travel schedules that day, but led to one person missing their train. -http://
www.businessinsider.com/japan-rail-company-apologises-for-train-leaving-25-seconds-early-2018-5
Japan as a country is so time conscious that a few seconds matters whether early or late the value their time. The company
actually issued a press statement apologizing for the early departure because “it may have caused people to be late for
work” Should this happen in our African countries we will celebrate. Botswana Has always been known to be a country
where nothing starts on time , a bus set to leave at 0800, can leave 2hours later and there are no consequences to the
bus operators. The situation is not different for opening times for shops, businesses and government departments. It is not
unique to visit a store 30 minutes after opening time to find it still closed. So many times i have had to wait at the door for
a shop to be opened way after opening time. I am not the only one to experience this. Below is an excerpt from a customer
complaint.
Please help this post office should open at 0815 but its almost 0830 but still closed and officers are in refusing to open-
Lyon Gomolemo Motswaledi, December 30, 2016

Many like Lyon and myself have visited financial institutions, shops and banks only to discover that they are still closed well
after their opening time. Some open more than thirty minutes after scheduled opening time. No apology or explanation is
given its everything is normal. And when they do open do not expect the service to be fast or to see them fore go lunch or
knock off a bit late to cover the time lost. The day will be a normal day. One person had to say this
I think the story is true. We are lazy bagaetsho. For example when you work 8am to 5pm, ha e re 4:55 batswana start
going out, but other foreign colleagues remain behind to push their work behind. We do not have to go to home to go
anywhere else, only to watch SA Soapies like their Generations and the like. If we were not lazy, we could be running
very successful companies here. But rather let’s stay calm. We are lazy to think people. Thats why we see someone doing
something, in few days we will be doing that. Why do many young women wanting to get married to foreign business
men !! the answer is simple; they just want to be fed without them having to do anything. We are not taught to work at
 weddings even at our homes. We are being taught to be too much reliant on other people. If you have a brother, they are
being taught that you should provide for them, they are not being taught to fend for themselves
Reginald Keitumetse
Not only is knock off time treated with reverence, lunch time and tea time as well. You do not dare come looking for service
five minutes before tea time because when the clock strikes 10, or whatever time is set for tea time they will stop service
and will attend to you after tea time. Lunch time is the same, Many have gone to seek service from some companies and
departments during lunch time and have been refused service because it is lunch time, whether or not the person is
available and can provide the requested service. This is also regardless of the pile of work in front of them, some would
rather be on Facebook and whatsapp than assist a client during lunch time.
The other problem apart from poor time management rests in the I don’t know attitude. Get into any company or department
to esquire about something you are told I don’t Know”and thats the end of the story. They are never willing to go and ask a
colleague about the service or issue that they do not know about. Its is a lack of innovation and a lack of interest. Normally
if you do not know something you esquire so that the work of the company can go on.

In some Departments customers have left without getting assistance because the Cashier is on leave and will return
next month , or the person who collects money is not here right now come back tomorrow. Imagine entire government
departments shutting down because the cashier is on leave? In some instances people queue for long hours with only one
person assisting because they have gone for lunch. What happened to staggering employee lunch times so that people get
the service they deserve. In some departments they will tell you we stop receiving payment at 11am, yet the department
will be open till 1630 so what happens in the next 5 hours that the shop will be open. No work will be done

Handling requests and customer Documents

Another sign of a good work ethic is how we handle customer requests and details. In many cases customer requests and
documentation. In this area the Private sector in Botswana takes a lead. Recently FNB Botswana Closed people’s accounts
for failing to submit Know your customer documentation, yet in most of the cases the accounts that had been frozen
the customers had indeed submitted the said documentation but the bank and it’s employees had misplaced the said
documents. Precious time and resources where lost during this process. Below are two of such stories where the bank has
lost customer documentation

Dear FNBB,
I wish to express my dissatisfaction with your KYC administration. Yesterday around 17h20 you sent me an sms informing
me that you have deactivated my account following my failure to duly submit my KYC documents. For your information,
that assertion is not true as I have long done that. I did that after suffering long hours on your long queues having asked
for time off work. I followed up your message from yesterday with a phone call to correct that mistake and have my
account reactivated but was informed my information is missing and I have to resubmit....by no fault of mine! Yes, I could
inconvenience my employer once again, suffer some inconvenience pending reactivation of my account to resubmit.
But I have much bigger concerns. You will be advised that by losing my information (full with my id, residential address
and payslip) you are compromising my security! You have a responsibility to protect my security...you will be advised of
customer information theft that has resulted in criminal activity in some quarters. I am now pondering my next move
but think it might go in the direction of looking into competition for transferring my account. Where are the documents
that I submitted way back and what about checking with your hard covered book where I signed in when I submitted my
documents before refusing me access to my account? You might need to also ensure that your systems (including human
resources) are up to this task before you embark on this important exercise. For some of us we can’t ‘steal’ time from our
employers to address your inefficiencies. Also, what guarantee do I get that my docs won’t disappear again if I resubmit?
Your regulator Bank of Botswana will not be pleased about this security threat you are exposing your customers too. I
need not express the loss of confidence from your clients, some of whom have had this same experience. Please get your
house in order. Reactivate my account while you are at it! An apology will also be in order!
Maybe following up with phone calls rather than cutting customers off will also be a more effective customers friendly
way to deal with what you perceive to be nonconformity. Johana Segotlong July 22, 2017

FNB Incompetent Idiots !

I bank with FNB Airport Junction. Some months back I handed in my KYC documents and your KYC lady copied my
passport and resident permit inside, and asked me to sign and date the copies.
Today my ATM printout reads ACCOUNT FROZEN.
 When I esquire at FNB CBD I’m informed the copy of resident permit is missing. Why wasn’t there any communication -
you have all my other docs. Whoever is managing the KYC process at FNB is both arrogant and incompetent.
If you can’t communicate with me You have lost my trust as a bank and I will slowly wind down my affairs with you, and
close my company accounts and seek pastures greener...Maybe that’s How I Can Help You Peter E. Horrocks is feeling
angry. September 21, 2017
Dear FNB
An observation for you. In fact, a few observations. Yes, you are entitled, in fact you are OBLIGED to freeze the accounts
of people who failed to submit the necessary personal and business identity documents. We all know that. But that is
NOT the problem.
The problem is that you are freezing the accounts of people who HAVE complied with the rules. Some of us HAVE
submitted the documents. Some have submitted them MORE THAN ONCE. Some of us have emails from you confirming
that we have DONE all this. But you are still freezing our accounts. That’s unreasonable. That calls into question your
effectiveness. Everyone we speak to makes the same observation. Other banks aren’t treating their customer this way.
Other banks are managing KYC better.
A suggestion. You need to be open and honest with us. Why is this happening? Is it, as some people are saying, nothing
to do with KYC and is actually more to do with your internal systems and procedures? Is it that the volume of documents
has overwhelmed you? Is that you didn’t devote sufficient resources to the project? Why is it? We, your customers,
deserve an answer.
You’d be eager to get in touch and ask us questions if we failed to repay our loans, wouldn’t you? You’d want answers
and you’d want them quickly and honestly. But this time the tables are turned. YOU are letting US down and we want to
know why. And what’s more, we want to know that it won’t happen again. We want to know why we shouldn’t take our
money elsewhere. We don’t want to move our accounts because we like many of the things you offer us but I’m not sure
we have much choice any longer.
So will you talk to us? While there’s still time?-Richard Harriman Admin · November 18, 2017 · Gaborone

The above are a few of the many complaints about the service clients posted about the service from FNBB regarding an
exercise which they where supposed to be prepared for. It does not end with how they handled customer documents but
some customers had to go too and from the bank countless of times and spend hours in queues for just handing over paper
work. The average time one needs to be prepared to spend in any bank regardless of transaction type and the number
of people in the queue is at least an hour. BoItu Melloh had this to say about the customer service in this country while
commenting on the FNBB kyc issue
Maybe this problem is a good picture of the impact we all have on our customers when we do not deliver as we should
without any genuine apology followed by commitment to make things better. Isn’t this how our customers feel when we
want them to remember that the service provider is the boss? It is not just FNBB alone, the whole country is a mess
because employers and employees do as they please. There are unnecessary queues all over the place because there isn’t
much care about how that affects customers. How many people impatiently(rightfully so) waiting for FNBB to unfreeze
accounts actually freeze services to their own customers without good explanation? How many times have we all been
told to return another day by service providers for things that we know could be done in a flash? How many times
have we been told ‘the system is down’ yet there doesn’t seem to be any backup plan to avoid that happening in the
future? Or just because the person who should be helping us is feeling a little bit lazy and wants to chill during working
hours? How many times have we felt we are not getting services on time just because the person on the other side of
the counter feels they can do as they please? A lot of emails go unanswered not because there is no one to respond but
because people don’t really care about making life easier for their customers. How many times have we felt that the
person who is suppose to help us does not show BOPELOTLHOMOGI yet we sing so much about being a compassionate
nation? Remember this is not just an FNBB problem, it is a national crisis. Unless we realize that we are interdependent
this will continue to happen. The only difference here is that FNBB has frozen a lot of customer’s accounts at the same
time otherwise this is how a lot of customers are treated in Botswana, those who can not speak up for themselves end up
giving up especially where there is intimidation and lack of BOTHO....I just thought we should also see it from this angle
while we wait for FNBB’s response on the issue at hand
It would be a disservice to FNbb just to look at them alone as an example of poor customer service, the paragraph above
really talks about the problem that we face in different sectors of the economy not only banks. My own bank Standard
chartered has had its own share of bad reviews and comments
Can someone assist us ko standard chartered bank. Their customer service is the worst I’ve had in a bank sector. No one
cares about your queries. If you can’t help then why don’t you refer us to the next person who can. I would like to believe
there is at least a few who cares in your organization-Kefilwe Fekena Mabeka June 14
Can someone assist us ko standard chartered bank. Their customer service is the worst I’ve had in a bank sector. No one
 cares about your queries. If you can’t help then why don’t you refer us to the next person who can. I would like to believe
there is at least a few who cares in your organization-Galaletsang Molabi July 31, 2017.
Shitty service at Standard Chartered Bank Game city!!!! They should just close at 3pm because the queue is sooo long yet
there is only one teller helping the others just laughing on the side nxa Why did u agree to close late when u no your mind
your body and soul aren’t ready for this!!! This is appalling Am disgusted Boingotlo Motingwa March 1, 2017

In some instances organizations have gone the extra mile by offering extended working opening hours, but then when
the extended period is offered and the customers are not served then it defies the purpose. What i have striven to do
in this compilation report is highlight that the work ethic problem is not limited to government institutions, neither is it
an institutional problem but it is a national problem. Botswana in general has a poor work ethic regardless of the salary
scale, how companies treat employees etc. It is just the same. Many excuses can be given why there is poor work ethic
in organizations, Some have said it is because companies do not motivate their employees , some have said its because
employees are underpaid yet the truth is work ethic is personal and not about the organization. It is a personal belief system
that is either developed or natured .The Miriam Webster Online dictionary defines it as : a belief in work as a moral good : a
set of values centered on the importance of doing work and reflected especially in a desire or determination to work hard. From
the definition you can see that it is a personal standpoint.

To reinforce the same standpoint we do have some shining stars in the same organizations that have been highlighted for
poor service. In every organization we have seen some stellar service from the people in the same organizations, exposed
to the same bosses, the same conditions and the same work Environment. Some are even in worse conditions but they will
work hard(smart) to ensure that their tasks are completed and clients get the service they require.
I would like to name and praise Mr Mazhele from Standard Chartered Bank-Selibe Phikwe branch for the exceptional
service he provided to me. The free financial advice he provided had changed mi life for the better Autilia Johannes
September 18, 2017
Zoran Nikolic to Consumer Watchdog Botswana July 13, 2016 at 1:24 PM
Kudos to Motheo for excellent service in FNB Riverwalk! Amazing service with a smile! Bravo!
Kelebetse Tshepo to Consumer Watchdog Botswana April 6 ,2018·
The lady wa KFC Game City (My Salary) big ups to her hleng I like her energy!
Kopelang Kheila Kopelang I met her ka 2013, she is so humble. I love her service, she can make u buy and feel welcome.
She is very energetic, proactive lady. She was working mo KFC airport junction. God bless u and see more salaries come
to KFC because of u and your service. Thanx

The lady on the right is a shining example of good work ethic even
in a bad work environment. There are so many positive reports
about her and her work ethic. While others chose to complain
she chose to be a sign that great customer service exists in Bo-
tswana. She chose to show everyone she comes in contact with
that you can get a smile. She is not young but fairly advanced but
still wakes up early daily and comes to work and makes sure she
serves everyone with a smile.

Botswana in order to change the perception of being a lazy na-

tion needs to rise up and take responsibility as a nation, to accept
that yes, we have our shortcomings and see what can be done to
change that perception. It is not just a bad perception that people
have of Botswana but it is a reality it is what we all experienced in
different settings. It is what we have done as well when we take
responsibility for our actions we can move from a position were
we are considered lazy to a position of being better off than we
were yesterday.

Batswana and Botswana take pride in the fact that a lot of

change has happened since independence in 1966, the country
was one of the poorest in the world and has developed into
what is considered to be a middle income country. This is due
to the fact that diamonds where discovered in the country and
government managed to ensure that the mineral benefits the local
economy. The country has reached this level it is today because
of the mineral resources that the country has. Botswana was the home of the second largest diamond found in the world.
Botswana is home to the world’s only inland delta, The okavango delta and is home to one of the world ‘s largest herds of
Elephants in the world. Botswana truly has the natural resources. But if the nation is to move from where it is and develop
and be competitive in the next fifty years there needs to be a mindset shift from what was done in the last 51 years of
Independence to what can be done. The workforce needs to rise up and be innovative and shape the future. As it stands
Diamonds are now being created in the lab and they are as beautiful as the natural diamonds, in the near future diamond
revenue will plummet and the nation needs to be prepared for that change. It takes an innovative nation to survive in the
fast paced world and it takes .

Some economists argue that the world is shifting from the look east policy when searching for skilled labour, instead they
will start looking towards Africa as Africa has the largest number of Economically active people, while the rest of the world
has an Aging population. One powerful determinant of Africa’s economic and political future will be the capacity of each
country to prepare and retain the range of professionals needed to run its key private and public sectors and thus to reduce
dependence on international expertise. Building the capacity of the needed indigenous professionals depends on each
state’s education system and especially on its universities. It is already possible to see a growing gap between those African
states such as Ghana that are able to commit major new funds (and greater independence) to the education sector and
those that are not making any such commitments. To remain within the progressive segment of the development spectrum,
the level of in-country education must increase to provide graduates at the different levels with the skills needed for
national development. At the same time, economic planning must open up real entrepreneurial and employment options to
reduce both dependence on international personnel and the brain drain.

If Botswana is to be relevant in the world there is need to be able to train and nature professionals that are willing to go
above and beyond the call of duty and ensure exceptional service delivery. This failure to build a dedicated workforce
may lead to the downfall of Botswana in favor of its neighbors. Zimbabwe is one such country that has managed to build
a dedicated workforce who in the worst of conditions have managed to work, The downfall for the country was the poor
political and economic standing that led to a lot of brain drain with qualified artisans and professionals leaving the country
to look for better life in neighboring countries and abroad.

Rwanda is a country that has shown the world what Africa is capable of doing. IN 1993 the country was at its worst,
with the worst ever genocide taking place on the African Continent . The country’s economy in this era was among the
worst on the African continent , but now 23 years later Rwanda is leading Africa in terms of development, Cleanliness and
infrastructure development. The Same Report that highlights Botswana as one of the laziest countries in Africa, praises
Rwanda for its work ethic. Rwanda was able to and surpass what Botswana has done in 51 years in 23 years, that is half the
Time. Botswana did not go to war, but Rwanda had to first go through a time of healing and rebuilding the nation before it
could get to where it is today. The WEF reports states that Rwanda remains one of the most Competitive nations in Africa
 Kigali Today

Kigali 1993

thanks efficient goods and labor markets and a stable political environment that supports GDP growth (above 6% for the
next few years). If Rwanda can transform itself from one of the worst in Africa to one of the best in a short space of time
because of its Work force why cant we do the same.
Botswana leads Sub Saharan Africa in educating its citizens through government initiatives such as the sponsorship of
students to tertiary institutions. The government in 2015 introduced a project Named “Target 2000” The official Press
release states reads “The Public is informed that the Ministry of Education & Skills Development intends to embark on an up-
skilling and upscaling of unemployed youth. All unemployed youth are therefore invited to submit applications for the identified
training programs under this project beginning November 2015. “
Target 20 000 is the Ministry of Education and Skills Development’s five year strategy in which government aims to equip
the youth at tertiary institutions with industry skills. While it seems like a good idea on paper there were many flaws
with the project. For one , it aimed at offering students with a skill set and not also instill in them the work ethic required
to push beyond the boundaries and exceed the limitations in front of them. An 11 Apr 2017 Mmegi article by Tsaone
Basimanebotlhe states that:
Only 59 out of the 583 graduates tracer study of the current Target 20,000 have indicated that they are employed,
Parliament learnt last Friday. This came after the MP for Francistown East But Billy wanted the Ministry of Tertiary
Education, Research, Science and Technology to update on the progress of Target 20,000 programme.

In his answer, the Assistant Minister of Tertiary Education Fidelis Molao said: “The programme was implemented in
January 2016 and to date 9,953 unemployed youth benefited. However, 741 dropped out of the programme. 3,094
have completed or graduated in the different courses they pursued at various institutions while 725 are awaiting results”.
Molao said one of the major flaws that occurred in the implementation of the programme relates to the fact that
students wanted long-term programmes instead of short-term ones.

If you look at the above statement, 10% ended up being employed and the rest are still unemployed. The project however
was set up with the intention of equipping the youth with vocational skills, These skills are meant to enable the youth to
be self employed or self reliant in the event that they do not get absorbed in the main stream they can set up their own
Small businesses or enterprises. Courses such as Graphic design, software engineering, leather works , beauty therapy,
hairdressing etc are not capital intensive areas instead they require innovation, a hard work ethic and someone who can say
i am tired of being broke and set up from their homes or bedrooms or even at the clients premises. But this is not the case
instead people are saying it is a flop because only 10% are employed. Its is a flop not because 10 % of the graduates are
employed it is a failure because of the ones not employed are not doing anything to change their situation and start being
productive, instead the ones not employed argue that the government is not doing enough to give them Jobs after they
graduated but in actual fact the Government was equipping them to be self reliant in the event that they do not get Jobs.
The reason the project did not succeed is because the beneficiaries where expecting more handouts from the government
instead of wanting to change their situation. The problem lies in the work ethic with the people themselves, 751 dropped
out of the project not because they did not have financial resources but they lacked the dedication to see the project
through. A good look at the statistics will show that dropouts at tertiary institutions are not only limited to the Target 20,00
students abut are also prevalent in those enrolled in mainstream courses too, the majority of dropouts either stop attending
class or attain very poor marks and are given Fail and discontinue.
Botswana does not have an Education problem, it has a work ethic Problem. The country will need to migrate from the
mentality thet the Government owes them something and move to a mentality that they need to work hard and smart to
achieve their goals. Some employees expect their employers to ensure that their needs are taken care of but fail to un-
derstand that their salary does not come from the employer but from the customer. Some students fail to understand the
difference between a Right and a Privilege.

A right is defined as: a moral or legal entitlement to have or do something

Whereas a privilege is defined as: A special advantage, immunity, permission, right, or benefit granted to or enjoyed by an
individual, class, or caste. A benefit, immunity, etc, granted under certain conditions
Everyone has a right to education that is why the Government has invested in building schools, and universities to en-
sure that this basic human right is met. The government’s obligation in terms of meeting this right ends at the provision
of schools, provision of learning materials and staffing the said schools. Getting tertiary Education financing on the other
hand is a privilege enjoyed by the citizens of Botswana. The difference between the right and privilege is the right cannot
be taken away from you as it is a moral and legal obligation owed to you as a human being, taking away these rights will
be a violation of human rights. Whereas a privilege is determined by other factors such as availability of funds, Who is in
power and it can be revoked at any time. In 2013, Limkokwing students went on strike Because “their right “ to get a book
allowance credited to them was violated, In 2017 The university of Botswana was shut down for a few months because the
students “rights” to getting their allowance was violated. But yet it is a great privilege to have your education sponsored by
the government. The students did not realize that what in-fact they where fighting for was a privilege which can be revoked
if the conditions are not right, it is the very same people who graduate and a released into the job market and they have the
mentality that they are owed something by someone. This entitlement mentality will at the end of the day cripple the said
person to passivity if what they feel they are owed is not met.

We need to come to a point where we understand that we are a part of a bigger picture and we all need to play our part to
develop our nation. We complain about receiving poor service yet we ourselves also give the same poor pathetic service.
We need to realize that we are not owed anything by anyone instead we owe it to ourselves to do the best we can, in the
poorest of conditions to change the said conditions. The people of Rwanda stood up and rose from the ashes of a horrible
genocide where neighbors killed each other because of ethnic differences, husband turned against wife because she was
of different descent but they stood up after a horrible massacre and did what was required to build their nation. Had they
continued with the notions that because they were the slaughtered they were owed something nothing would have come
from the country .

We cannot continue to run away from our responsibilities, nether can we continue to put the blame on others instead we
need to act and act decisively in order to build our nations. Contrary to old sayings You can teach an old dog new tricks and
we can start making changes today should we take the challenge. A revamp need to be done in the education system and
encourage our youth to work hard. Some complain that companies require two years experience before hiring them , and
they say the cant get that experience just straight form school. How many have even thought about approaching the said
companies and offering services in exchange for experience part time while they are at school? If they start when they are
first or second year students by the time the graduate they will have the 2 years experience. Instead of hoping and praying
for a relaxation of requirements we need to be looking at ways of meeting those requirements. Instead of crying that here
are no jobs, If its a skill that requires the use of your hands wake up and start using the said hands.

Our Neighbor Zimbabwe is said to have an unemployment rate of 93% , The look at people that are employed in the formal
sector but the situation is a bit different on the ground. The truth is the country has a lot about 30-40% of its people at
home ding nothing , the other 53-63% are “Employed” in the informal sector. The country has Graduates selling bananas
on the streets, some are welders, builders, hairstylists, carpenters, motor mechanics and most of these industries sprouted
in backyards. It is at these informal markets that you can get anything from steel fabricated building materials, household
furniture, tile adhesives, bricks, leather shoes and goods, auto mechanics to name a few.
The difference between Zimbabwe’s unemployed
youth and Botswana’s is their zimbabwean counter-
parts have refused to be victims neither have the ac-
cepted the status Quo and they have realised that if
they want change they will make it for themselves. The
pictures on the right show graduates doing something
to survive. With the amount of money invested in
theTarget 20,000 project, and the Educational institu-
tions we should not be having a problem of no service
delivery the problem should be where do i go , be-
cause there are to many choices. We need to rise up
as a nation and take a stand against laziness and sate
we are the masters of our own destiny. We are not
owed anything by anyone but we ose it to ourselves
as a nation to build a better tomorrow
If Botswana is to get where it needs to be then Employers, Employees, Civic society, Government and Individuals will need
to take a stand and develop an good work ethic. We need to teach our children from an early age that they are not owed
anything by anyone but if they wish to succeed in life they will need to rise up and work hard ans smart. That is the only
way we will remain relevant in the global market. Below are tips for personal growth and organizational growth in this area

Improving Personal
Work Ethic
Here are some things you can do now to develop a
good work ethic.
1. Practice punctuality.
Develop the habit of being on time or early for all
appointments.
2. Develop professionalism.
Professionalism goes beyond a crisp white shirt and
tie. It includes your attitude, values, and demeanor.
Practice being positive and cordial. Refrain from
gossip. Be respectful of others. Develop a reputation
of integrity, which means being honest, just, and
consistent in what you say and do.
3. Cultivate self-discipline.
Improving Organizational
Anything worthwhile achieving takes discipline –
staying focused on the long-term goal and not being
Work Ethic
side-tracked by short-term gratification. Train yourself A work ethic is typically something ingrained within a person.
to be persistent and to follow through on projects. There are, simply put, lazy people who are impossible to motivate.
Strive for excellence in your assignments. However, other factors, both economical and psychological, can
affect an employee’s work ethic. Most people can be encouraged
4. Use time wisely. to greater performance, once the right motivating factors are
You might have heard it from your grandmother, but
found. This can be a process of trial and error because each
Benjamin Franklin was actually the first to say, “Never
individual may have different motivators. However, there are some
leave that ‘till tomorrow which you can do today.”
basic guidelines you can follow to increase employee work ethic.
It’s age-old advice, but far from outdated. Complete
assignments on time. Ban procrastination from your
1. Expect your managers to set a good example.
life, keeping in mind something else Franklin, said:
Employees tend to mimic the behavior of authority figures. Make
“Time is money.”
sure your managers know exactly what is expected of them, and
follow up with them regularly to make sure they are serving as role
5. Stay balanced. models for the rest of your employees.
Having a strong work ethic does not mean keeping 2.Create A public recognition system.
your eyes glued to your computer monitor. It includes Employee of the month competitions and special rewards for
knowing how to take care of yourself. Getting proper those who do their job well may encourage those with a poor
sleep. Eating right. Taking time to relax and recharge. work ethic to try harder. Human beings thrive on recognition
Keeping your priorities in life clear helps you maintain and feeling appreciated, and these are very powerful motivating
the proper perspective at work factors.

3. Set clear goals and milestones.

In some cases, employees may feel overwhelmed with a project if they are not entirely sure how to complete it or if it looks
insurmountable. Set milestones with clear target dates so employees know exactly what you expect of them and how long
they have to complete the task.

4. Monitor potential troublemakers.

Almost every office has at least one person who is there for the paycheck and not much else. These people can cause
dissension among the ranks and bring down not only the morale of the rest of the staff, but also the productivity levels for
the company. Weed through new applicants to make sure they will have job dedication.

5. Create a monetary award system.

Some employees will be motivated only by the promise of receiving a bonus or a raise if they complete certain tasks
and improve their performance. While not all companies may have the resources to give large monetary awards to their
employees, even simple gift card challenges and free products can encourage lackadaisical employees.