Botswana's economic development has been extraordinary in Third World terms, yet little is known about how different social groups have adapted to the new economic opportunities. This comprehensive account studies a key group of the new entrepreneurs: the ranchers. It describes their changing life styles, their construction of personal and social space, and the way they have adapted to state-initiated political and economic change, showing through a series of case studies how ranching has grown from being the preserve of white settlers to include Botswana and other African farmers as well. The relationship between ranching and communal land tenure, and the effect of Botswana's Tribal Land Grazing Policy are analysed in detail, while the careers of non-elites, the practice of bordermanship, labour relations and the management of multiple enterprises and risks are also covered. This book will appeal to Africanists, development planners, historians and anthropologists.