Being a female entrepreneur in Botswana: cultures, values, strategies for success

Overview

This article elucidates a study of businesswomen as they move from owning and managing informal businesses into the formal economy. The study indicates that business success for rural women in Botswana is specific to the socio-cultural context. By examining prevalent concepts of patriarchy and community in our study, we start to see that cultural values frame successful business strategies. For Botswana women engaged in small business, non-competitive networks, collective management strategies, and informal cross-border trade are the pillars of sustainable business success.

This article is hosted by our co-publisher Taylor & Francis. For the full table of contents for this and previous issues of this journal, please visit the Gender and Development website.