THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA: WHAT ROLE FOR THE EU AND OTHER PARTNERS?

This report summarizes an inception workshop held on 1-2 February 2011 by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM). The workshop examined the political economy of regional integration in Southern Africa, focusing on the challenges of overlapping memberships in regional economic communities (RECs), the influence of dominant member states, the role of external donors, and the impact of partnerships with the European Union and other emerging partners.

• Many African regional economic communities (RECs) follow a linear European model of integration, progressing from Free Trade Areas to Political Federations. While the East Africa Community (EAC) and Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) are at the second stage, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is struggling to operationalize its Free Trade Area (FTA).
• Overlapping memberships in multiple RECs have created a complex web of competing commitments and varying standards, which increases costs for intra-African trade and hinders trade facilitation. The Tripartite FTA (Africa Free Trade Zone) is a new initiative intended to resolve these challenges by covering SADC, COMESA, and EAC.
• Regional integration can lead to unbalanced economic development, where industries cluster in dominant member states such as South Africa, Kenya, and Egypt, fueling 'big brother' fears among smaller states. Some member states prioritize narrow short-term national interests and sovereignty over regional development objectives.
• Most REC secretariats, with the exception of SACU, rely heavily on external funding from donors, primarily the European Commission and other European aid agencies. This dependency risks creating complacency among member states and allows donors to potentially influence significant regional decisions.
• Engagement with external partners has had mixed effects: Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the EU have sometimes increased regional tensions or caused fragmentation, though they have forced a necessary discussion on consolidating RECs. Conversely, bilateral relations with China are welcomed for addressing infrastructure backlogs, though they create coordination challenges for REC secretariats.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA: WHAT ROLE FOR THE EU AND OTHER PARTNERS? https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/edip_workshop_report_political_economy_ri_sa_201102.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA: WHAT ROLE FOR THE EU AND OTHER PARTNERS? n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/edip_workshop_report_political_economy_ri_sa_201102.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA: WHAT ROLE FOR THE EU AND OTHER PARTNERS? |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/edip_workshop_report_political_economy_ri_sa_201102.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndpolitical, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA: WHAT ROLE FOR THE EU AND OTHER PARTNERS?}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/edip_workshop_report_political_economy_ri_sa_201102.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }