Enhancing Corporate Social Responsibility in the Public and Private Sectors in Botswana

Abstract

In a democratic country like Botswana, organisations and business should strive towards improving the livelihoods of the citizens that they operate within. Of recent, companies have even gone to the extent of building houses for the needy and less fortunate. In government, The Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs has been mandated to spearhead community services from the government’s point of view and several projects have been undertaken to help both individuals and the communities. Desktop research methodology was used to collect data for the paper. This paper will follow the following format: First, it covers an introduction about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); second, literature review on CSR; thirdly, methodology adopted; fourth, Botswana government conception of CSR; firth, Private sector conception of CSR and lastly, results and analysis followed by a conclusion. The paper argues that there has been an increase in the uptake of social responsibility activities by organisations and the business community in Botswana mainly to increase their visibility in society by advertising their services. The public sector has expanded its activities in order to enhance corporate social responsibility in the country and has acted as a catalyst for development in that respect. Activities have been carried out the country to develop the less privileged in society to the extent of building houses for needy. The private sector on the other hand, has been more open and diversified their CSR activities. Some of the private sector companies included in this study are cellular phones, banks and parastatals. Like government, some activities carried out by the private sector benefits the less privileged people in the society, employees working for such organisations, the sporting codes, local communities, environmental conservation activities and others. The paper gives recommendations / suggestions on how organisations can enhance their visibility in the communities where they work by getting involved in CSR projects. Finally, the paper concludes by emphasising the importance of CSR activates in both the public and the private sectors.