Boat dispatched to save swimmer somewhere in Africa (8)
I believe the answer is:
botswana
'in africa' is the definition.
('Botswana' is part of 'africa')
'boat dispatched to save swimmer' is the wordplay.
'dispatched' indicates anagramming the letters (letters dispatched to new positions).
'to save' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'swimmer' becomes 'swan' (swans can swim).
'boat' with letters rearranged gives 'bota'.
'bota' enclosing 'swan' is 'BOTSWANA'.
'somewhere' acts as a link.
I am not very happy about this link. It may be part of another bit of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for botswana that I've seen before include "Central African state" , "Country east of Namibia, north of South Africa" , "Does the African state want ASBO?" , "Boa wasn't, strangely, in the African state" , "Republic in south-central Africa" .)