Top 10 Business Constraints in SADC

This executive summary identifies the ten most significant business constraints in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, derived from Business Climate Surveys (BCSs) and Investment Climate Assessments (ICAs). The study highlights that a lack of macroeconomic stability and an unfavorable investment climate hinder regional development and investment.

• The study identifies the primary obstacles to attracting and sustaining new business investment in the SADC region as an unfavorable investment climate and a lack of predictability and stability in macroeconomic policy.
• The research identifies ten primary barriers to investment and development in the SADC region, which include financial and tax issues, labor and policy uncertainty, infrastructure and bureaucracy, and trade barriers. Specifically, these are: access to and cost of finance; tax rates and administration; access to skilled labor; economic and regulatory policy uncertainty; exchange rate fluctuations and foreign currency regulations; customs regulations and bureaucracy; supply of reliable infrastructure (energy, IT, telecommunications, and transport); corruption; inefficient bureaucracy regarding permits and licensing; and non-tariff trade barriers including SQAM, SPS, and TBT issues.
• Poverty eradication is a central priority in the RISDP, and the document suggests that addressing this requires focusing on sectoral diversification, value addition and beneficiation, financial and economic integration, and the upskilling of the workforce.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2012). Top 10 Business Constraints in SADC. https://saiia.org.za/toolkits/sadc-business-barriers/top-10-business-constraints-in-sadc/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Top 10 Business Constraints in SADC. 2012. https://saiia.org.za/toolkits/sadc-business-barriers/top-10-business-constraints-in-sadc/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Top 10 Business Constraints in SADC |date=25 July 2012 |url=https://saiia.org.za/toolkits/sadc-business-barriers/top-10-business-constraints-in-sadc/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2012top, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Top 10 Business Constraints in SADC}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2012}, month = jul, url = {https://saiia.org.za/toolkits/sadc-business-barriers/top-10-business-constraints-in-sadc/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }