As a firm specialising in market research and data analysis through surveys, feasibility studies and polls, among others, we hope to bring valuable insights through today’s article as we focus on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Botswana during the first quarter of 2023.
GDP at constant prices for the first quarter of 2023 was P52.3 million compared to the revised P49.5 million recorded in the fourth quarter of 2022, as reported in a recently released publication by Statistics Botswana. The real GDP increased by 5.4 percent during the period under review, as opposed to an increase of 6.8 percent in the same quarter of 2022. The growth was attributed to real value added by the Mining & Quarrying industries, which rose by 19.3 and 10.8 percent respectively. All other industries recorded positive growths of more than 0.3 percent.
The increase in the real value added of Mining & Quarrying by 10.8 percent was mainly influenced by the increase in Copper and Diamond production. Diamond production in carats increased by 10.9. Furthermore, stabilisation in production at Khoemacau Copper Mine (KCM) has contributed to growth in copper concentrates export by 121.3 percent in comparison with the corresponding quarter of previous year. The increase in diamond production was mainly driven by a planned strategy to align production with increased demand from international markets.
Why is this key?
Investors, policymakers and citizens are directly impacted by the strength of local economies, and GDP is a critical measurement of an economy’s size, performance and general health. GDP measures the country’s economic health by comparing the current GDP against past numbers. In the case of Botswana, the increasing number indicates that the economy has become more productive as evidenced by increased output in the quarrying and mining sectors.
To the universe at large, the GDP metric can be used as an invaluable tool for decision-making viz:
- An organisation or firm looking to expand into new markets might use GDP to evaluate which markets would prove healthiest.
- An investor interested in emerging markets might use GDP to understand which countries are growing at the fastest rates and, therefore, might provide the greatest return on investment (ROI).
- A politician or policymaker might use GDP to understand how policies have impacted the economy.
Research is key
Quarterly GDP estimates assist in the analysis of short-term movements in the economy, as opposed to the annual GDP, which provides an in-depth and comprehensive view of the changes in the economy. GDP represents the total monetary value, or market value, of finished goods and services produced within a country during a period. It is a measurement of the country’s economic health.
We hope that this article was insightful and that it demonstrated to some extent the importance of market research or data in business decision-making. As already stated, we offer market research and data analysis through surveys, feasibility studies and polls, among other data-related services.
Please contact us on +26771870023 or research@easternman.co.bw for consulting or to join our free research WhatsApp group.
