- Employs 50 535 people of total employed population of 754, 147
The Employment in the Tourism Industries Stats Brief, 2024, published by Statistics Botswana last month has revealed the tourism sector employs more than 50 000 people making only 6.7% of the national employment total, where youth and women are leading representations in the sector.
The Employment in the Tourism Industries Stats Brief shows that 50,535 people were employed in tourism-related sectors during the first quarter of 2024. This represents 6.7 percent of Botswana’s total employed population of 754,147.
A more detailed analysis of the report reveals that while gender representation is nearly balanced with women comprising 48.2 percent of the tourism workforce men still earn marginally more overall. Male employees earned an average monthly wage of P3,365 compared to P3,142 earned by women, a difference of 7.1 percent in favour of men. However, these averages mask deeper variations within specific industries.
In the Transport and Storage sector, women earned P5,427 compared to men’s P3,955, a gap of 37.2 percent in favour of women. A similar trend appears in the Arts, Entertainment and Recreation sector, where women earned P3,084 compared to men’s P2,171, a 42 percent difference in favour of women. These reversals, according to the report, are linked to women’s concentration in administrative and client-facing roles that attract better wages, while men tend to occupy lower-paid operational roles in the same sectors.
“You have women dominating in some sectors and also earning more in a few, but overall, men still have the edge in total earnings,” said Dr. Lucky Mokgatlhe, Acting Statistician General. “This data gives us insight into where progress has been made and where targeted policy may still be needed.”
Youth employment stands out as one of the most consistent features of the tourism industry. The age group 25 to 29 years made up the largest portion of workers at 21.3 percent. The report suggests that this is due to the lower skill and education thresholds for entry-level jobs in tourism, particularly in service and hospitality roles, which are accessible to young people entering the job market for the first time.
In terms of education, 58.7 percent of tourism employees held secondary education, while 18.3 percent had tertiary education. Those with tertiary qualifications earned an average of P6,226, while primary education holders earned P1,541, a stark difference of 304 percent more for tertiary graduates. Vocational education also proved valuable, with graduates earning P4,289, which is 178 percent more than those with only primary schooling.
“While the sector offers opportunities for low-skilled workers, the data also shows a strong correlation between education and earnings,” the report stated. “Those with higher qualifications not only earn more, but are also more likely to be employed in managerial or supervisory roles.”
Regional wage disparities also stood out. In a surprising trend, rural areas offered the highest average wages in some tourism industries. Workers in the Transport and Storage sector in rural areas earned P12,608, compared to the national average of P4,054, a difference of P8,554 or 211 percent more. Similarly, rural employees in the Arts, Entertainment and Recreation sector earned P3,318, compared to the national average of P2,683, representing a 23.7 percent increase.
Urban villages offered the highest average earnings in Administrative and Support Services at P5,595, which is 11.3 percent above the national sector average of P5,027. Meanwhile, cities and towns recorded the highest pay in Accommodation and Food Services at P3,791, which is 28.6 percent more than the national sector average of P2,947.
“These patterns reflect the specialised nature of tourism operations in rural areas, where roles may involve more logistical responsibilities or niche services that command higher pay,” said Dr. Mokgatlhe. “At the same time, the concentration of formal hospitality infrastructure in urban centres continues to influence earning potential in those areas.”
