What's stopping them working while they are there? Is it a visa issue
Yes, it's a visa issue. Botswana (as most countries) doesn't allow itinerant workers into the country, if there is a position available it should go to a Botswanan citizen. In order to be granted a
work visa prior to entering the country, you have to prove that the position was advertised in Botswana for two weeks without it being filled by a local first. For pilots, you also need clearance from the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB).
The charter companies in Maun don't advertise positions, as experience has shown that hiring from first world countries is fraught with the risk that the new employee quits shortly after arrival (and the expense of training) as they can't handle the heat & bush living conditions. Given the nature of the low-hour pilot hiring market, they know they can get enough applicants by only offering positions to those on the scene personally - this also means that the applicants have proven they can live under the local conditions for a couple of months.
All of the pilots shown have entered Botswana on a 90 day tourist visa, and are effectively on holiday. As "aviation enthusiasts", they have chosen to have that holiday at Maun, where they can watch Bush pilots in action.
Actively looking for work is actually against the terms of the visa, and they can be deported by immigration if immigration suspects they are in country to look for work. Given the nature of pilot hiring, however, a bit of a blind eye is turned towards pilot hiring
provided they aren't actually working without a valid work visa.
If a company decides "out of the blue" to offer one of these aviation enthusiast tourists a job while they are on holiday, then the company applies for a transfer of their tourist visa to a correct work visa on their behalf (after proving that they can't find a qualified Botswanan citizen for the job, and after getting the required CAAB approval & licence validation).
So - no. They can't get a casual job while they are there.
