Trade in SACU Energy Services: Towards A Negotiating Strategy

The document outlines a workshop discussion on the barriers to trade in energy services in SACU, highlighting the absence of services in the SACU agreement and the tension between achieving universal electricity access and maintaining tariffs attractive to Independent Power Producers (IPPs). It emphasizes the need for an integrated regional resource plan, technical transfer, and a shift away from coal and oil toward renewable energy, noting that a lack of political will and a preference for external bilateral cooperation currently hinder regional integration.

• The SACU agreement does not mention trade in services, which complicates the liberalisation of the energy services sector.
• There is a critical tension between the goal of universal electricity access, particularly in rural areas, and the need for tariffs high enough to attract investment from Independent Power Producers (IPPs).
• Regional cooperation is hindered by a lack of political will to implement renewable energy projects, with political focus often diverted toward external bilateral cooperation rather than regional integration in sub-Saharan Africa.
• The region requires an integrated resource plan to facilitate technical transfer and information pooling, reducing dependence on the West and addressing the unsustainable reliance on coal and oil.
• Existing investment incentives, such as Feed-in Tariffs in some countries, are currently undermined by implementation deficits.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). Trade in SACU Energy Services: Towards A Negotiating Strategy. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/dttp_sacu_energy_services_workshop_report_200906.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Trade in SACU Energy Services: Towards A Negotiating Strategy. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/dttp_sacu_energy_services_workshop_report_200906.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Trade in SACU Energy Services: Towards A Negotiating Strategy |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/dttp_sacu_energy_services_workshop_report_200906.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndtrade, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Trade in SACU Energy Services: Towards A Negotiating Strategy}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/dttp_sacu_energy_services_workshop_report_200906.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }