U.K.-born Christopher Roy Garland has lived and worked in Gaborone, Botswana, since the 1990s. During his nearly 40 years as a business advisor and fiduciary in Southern Africa, he has been involved in dozens of public-private development partnerships and parastatal infrastructure initiatives across the region.

We spoke to Garland recently about his career, the projects he has been part of, and his outlook for Botswana and the rest of the 16-country Southern African Development Community.

How did you land in Botswana?

Growing up in the U.K. was a real privilege, but I never quite felt like I belonged. As soon as I was old enough to strike out on my own, I headed south — first to South Africa, and later to Botswana.…