Each country has specific rules for uniform road traffic flow. A country either follows left-hand traffic (LHT) rule in which traffic keeps to the left side of the road, or right-hand traffic (RHT) rule in which traffic keeps to the right of the road. Botswana implements LHT rule for its traffic.
The majority of countries now drive on the right, using left hand drive (LHD) vehicles. This includes most of the major automobile manufacturers, with the notable exceptions being Japan and UK. Globally, about 35% of the population drives on the left, and the countries that do are mostly former British or Portuguese colonies. Since Botswana was a former British colony, it still drives on the left.
In Africa, only 14 countries practice left-hand traffic (LHT) for their roads, while 41 countries and territories implement right-hand traffic (RHT).
LHT countries almost always use RHD vehicles. The steering wheels of these cars are located on the right-hand side, and hence they are known as right-hand drive (RHD) vehicles. The driver here sits on the right side of the car, and uses the left hand to shift the gears. Cars go around roundabouts in clockwise direction. Overtaking is usually done from the right, and it is not permitted to stop on the right-hand side of the road facing oncoming traffic. Most traffic signs facing motorists are on the left side of the road in these countries.
Conversely, RHT countries usually use LHD vehicles, in which the steering wheel is on the left hand side. The driver sits on the left and uses the right hand to change gears. People go around the roundabouts in anticlockwise direction in such countries.
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Below is a list of African countries and the side of the road on which they drive.
Countries that follow LHT in Africa:
1 Botswana
2 Eswatini (Swaziland)
3 Kenya
4 Lesotho
5 Malawi
6 Mauritius
7 Mozambique
8 Namibia
9 Seychelles
10 South Africa
11 Tanzania
12 Uganda
13 Zambia
14 Zimbabwe
Countries that follow RHT in Africa:
1 Algeria
2 Angola
3 Benin
4 Burkina Faso
5 Burundi
6 Cameroon
7 Cape Verde
8 Central African Republic
9 Chad
10 Comoros
11 Côte D'Ivoire
12 Democratic Republic Of Congo
13 Djibouti
14 Egypt
15 Equatorial Guinea
16 Eritrea
17 Ethiopia
18 Gabon
19 Gambia
20 Ghana
21 Guinea
22 Guinea-Bissau
23 Liberia
24 Libya
25 Madagascar
26 Mali
27 Mauritania
28 Morocco
29 Niger
30 Nigeria
31 Republic Of Congo
32 Rwanda
33 Senegal
34 Sierra Leone
35 Somalia
36 South Sudan
37 Sudan
38 São Tomé And Príncipe
39 Togo
40 Tunisia
41 Western Sahara