Regional Integration, Sustainable Development and Global Value Chains in Southern Africa

The document examines the role of value chains in Southern Africa, noting that the region accounts for 40% of Africa's GVC participation. It highlights the importance of RVCs as entry points for smaller countries and emphasizes the need for harmonized non-tariff measures and firm-level data to enhance regional integration.

• Southern Africa represents 40% of the total GVC participation for the African continent. While most foreign value added in African exports originates outside Africa, South Africa contributes more than 10% of intermediate goods to Zimbabwe, Zambia, Swaziland, Namibia, and Botswana.
• Regional value chains (RVCs) serve as critical mechanisms for smaller countries to facilitate upgrading before entering global value chains (GVCs). Examples of RVCs in the region include the export of dairy products, soap, plastic, and cocoa to South Africa from SACU members, as well as automotive and textile flows.
• To improve regional integration, there is a need to develop non-tariff measures that reflect national development objectives and harmonized standards without becoming non-tariff barriers (NTBs). Additionally, the document notes a lack of social accounting matrices in trade impact studies and a need for firm-level understanding of trade participation.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2016). Regional Integration, Sustainable Development and Global Value Chains in Southern Africa. https://saiia.org.za/saiia-toolkit/regional-integration-sustainable-development-and-global-value-chains-in-southern-africa/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Regional Integration, Sustainable Development and Global Value Chains in Southern Africa. 2016. https://saiia.org.za/saiia-toolkit/regional-integration-sustainable-development-and-global-value-chains-in-southern-africa/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Regional Integration, Sustainable Development and Global Value Chains in Southern Africa |date=2 June 2016 |url=https://saiia.org.za/saiia-toolkit/regional-integration-sustainable-development-and-global-value-chains-in-southern-africa/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2016regional, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Regional Integration, Sustainable Development and Global Value Chains in Southern Africa}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2016}, month = jun, url = {https://saiia.org.za/saiia-toolkit/regional-integration-sustainable-development-and-global-value-chains-in-southern-africa/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }