I think if you go back a few years you'll find that Maun didn't even exist before the tourism & hunting arrived (turn of the last century). It is now home to over 50,000 Batswana who pretty much depend on those industries. Sure, some of this income doesn't come back to Maun, but a lot of it does & it supports the local communty.
As far as SADC pilots are concerned, there is no need for protectionism. The aviation business in the Okavango is generally transitory; pilots come and go regardless of their origin. So, there are regular vacancies for anyone who has the interest & energy to go there and meet the companies. The Botswana government is already imposing it's own form of protection by resisting issuing work permits to foreigners, regardless of country.
I'm all for a country's nationals flying that country's planes. The truth is that, even though there are more and more Batswana pilots, VERY FEW want to be in Maun. Most want to be in Air Botswana, living pretty in Gaborone. As far as those from other African countries are concerned - why not? But, I can't remember ever having seen any pilots from other African countries looking for work there.
The charter companies need pilots and the vast majority will take any that show the right qualities, regardless of race or colour. So, please, before you start all this about non-Africans working in Africa, learn a little more about the situation. Foreign pilots are not taking jobs from the locals; local pilots need only to go to Maun, have tenacity and humility, knock on a few doors and ask for work; the same as all the foreign pilots have been doing for over 20 years.
I'm from Europe and, regardless of what the press may sometimes say, it's pretty tolerant of foreigners. There are a lot more Africans living & working in Europe than Europeans living & working in Africa. Let's be a little less paranoid and let people travel & work if they want.