Nimble thinking keeps many in work

GABORONE, Botswana－When Botswana announced its first three confirmed cases of COVID-19 on March 30 last year, worries flared about local job prospects.

The announcement was followed by a national lockdown and other precautionary measures, including international travel restrictions aimed at curbing COVID-19.

Those measures affected businesses in the country a lot. Many workers were ordered to stay home with the exception of essential workers. Some began fearing they will lose their jobs, as the world was brought to a standstill with no movement of people and goods.

Most Chinese business people running businesses in Botswana get their products from China. Their customers are mainly from neighboring Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho and Malawi since Botswana only has a modest population estimated at 2.1 million.

"When the borders were closed, I nearly fainted thinking my employment was going to end," said Ratanang Gambule, 27, a shop assistant at Truly Trading (Pty) Limited situated along Haskins Street in Francistown, Botswana's second-largest city.

'Unique character'

"The Chinese business people have got the tenacity, perseverance and a unique character that eventually saved our jobs as locals employed by the Chinese," said Gambule, who has been working with her employer for the past five years.

Eyne Madikwe, 23, who works at China Man Shop Number One in Francistown, described the Chinese textile shop owners as innovative. When Botswana's borders closed, Madikwe said her employer started concentrating on selling household wares.

Many of the Chinese business people in Francistown tried every trick in the book to avoid loss of jobs at the height of the pandemic, the chairperson of the Francistown Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Wang Yi, said.

Wang said at least 18,000 locals are employed by the Chinese-owned businesses in different sectors.

Godisang Radisigo, the Francistown mayor, praised the Chinese business people for sustaining jobs during COVID-19 even though a number of businesses were forced to lay off people.

Xinhua