The value and allocation of time in rural Botswana

Abstract Time use data indicate that there is substantial surplus labor in rural areas of Botswana, with the incidence of underutilization varying by age, sex, and asset position. Time allocations are influenced by economic incentives, i.e., income and productivity effects. The more productive capital the household has, the more productive work its members perform, particularly its children. The positive productivity effect of capital on economic work somewhat outweighs its negative income effect. Time allocations also are constrained by a culturally determined division of labor by age and sex, which however shows some flexibility at the margin.