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19 March 2024

Kingdom of Lesotho

Overview

The Kingdom of Lesotho is made up mostly of highlands where many of the villages can be reached only on horseback, by foot or light aircraft.

During the winter shepherds wearing only boots and wrap-around blankets have to contend with snow. While much of the country, with spectacular canyons and thatched huts, remains untouched by modern machines, developers have laid down roads to reach its mineral and water resources. Lesotho is one of few African countries to see snow regularly. The Lesotho Highlands Water Project was completed in the 1990s to supply South Africa with fresh water.

Economic Performance 2016

Lesotho’s nominal GDP at market prices increased to R33.7 billion in 2016 from R31.9 billion in 2015. In 2016, the economy recorded a slow growth of 2.4 per cent compared to 2.5 per cent in 2015. The slow growth in real GDP was attributed to the performance in the general government and construction sectors. The general government sector recorded a growth of 2.3 per cent in 2016 compared to 3.9 per cent in 2015, while the construction sector contracted by 13.5 per cent compared to a growth of 4.8 per cent recorded in 2015.
The largest industries, as measured by their nominal value added in 2016, were general government accounting for 20.8 per cent of GDP, followed by manufacturing accounting for 15.6 per cent of GDP.

Economic Indicators 2016

Country size

30 355 km2

GDP at current prices:

R33.7 billion

Population (2017):

1 932 814

GDP per capita:

R17 438

Real economic growth rate:

2.4%

Annual inflation rate:

6.6%

Merchandise imports:

R18.8 billion

Merchandise exports:

R13.6 billion

Feeds

Lesotho Times
Sunday Express
The Public Eye