I put "successful" in quotation marks, because of course there are other more or less successful countries, but looking solely on statistics, Botswana seems like the only one who has realized it's full potential and even performed better than expected, since at the time of independence it was only a desert with no prospects for future.
Yet, it has managed to stay the oldest democracy in Africa since independence, being the 33rd in the world according to The Economist democracy index. It has managed to sustain constant economic growth, mainly due to the discovery of minerals, yet this wealth hasn't been monopolized by the elite and corruption has remained low, unlike in other African states.
Due to my previous post getting removed, I'd like to specify that I'm asking about the two decades or so after independence; how didn't it turn into a corrupt and dysfunctional state?
I'm sorry if something isn't clear as my English isn't perfect and if some facts aren't correct, although I verified them before posting.
You're quite right, in relative terms Botswana has done remarkably well, and its reputation as a growing free country will reap dividends in the near future (especially when considering the trajectory South Africa is heading).
Firstly its mineral riches gave it an edge. Before its independence in 1966, Botswana relied deeply on the UK to support it and had a population under half a million who mostly lived in abject poverty. The discovery of diamonds however transformed its fortunes. Unfortunately in the sad tale of post-45 Africa, this does not automatically result in prosperity and growth. Taking Nigeria as an example, it sits on vast deposits of oil but during the same period was effectively bankrupt thanks to mismanagement and corruption. In contrast, however, by 1980 Botswana's per capita income was at $900 with a growing state structure of healthcare and infrastructure. How was this achieved?
The efforts of their first President, Seretse Khama, were groundbreaking. Unlike other emergent African leaders like Nkrumah and the infamous Mobuto, Khama was not tempted to treat the mineral wealth of the country as his personal treasure trove or indulge in repression. His wise deployment of revenue created a network of state services that were unparalleled in the region. This feeds into the debate over why and how post-independence leaders fell into such corruption, in this case, Botswana created a tradition of astute spending, rule of law, and political freedom. In contrast to the rest of Africa, this was a tremendous achievement. From 1960 till 1989, not a single country allowed the opposition to win a single seat with the exception of three- one of course been Botswana.