The ban has had a financial impact on the South African farmers who have, for many years, produced for the domestic market and the region at large.

Listen to this article 6 min Listen to this article 6 min On July 19, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, the president of Botswana, wrote on X: "Our ban on imported vegetables was a powerful move to boost our local farmers & economy. This initiative empowers Batswana by promoting self-sufficiency & improving livelihoods." The quote accompanied a short video celebrating Botswana's improvement in vegetable production since the country banned the imports of vegetables from South Africa.

Botswana and Namibia regularly close their borders to South African vegetables. However, the prolonged ban started in December 2021 and has been in place since then. The rationale for it, from both Botswana and Namibia's side, is that it would incentivise domestic production of vegetables in these countries and lower their dependence on South Africa. Their target products include tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, lettuce, garlic, onions, ginger and fresh herbs.

In December 2023, Botswana announced the ban would be extended for another two years. At the time, many in South Africa, including myself, were unhappy about this decision. The source of frustration arises from the appreciation that these countries are members of the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu), a bloc encouraging free trade...