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

The workshop report examines the challenges of regional integration in Southern Africa, noting that the linear European model of integration may not suit African contexts. Key obstacles identified include overlapping memberships in regional economic communities (RECs), the dominance of larger economies like South Africa, Egypt, and Kenya, and a heavy reliance on external donor funding. The report highlights the potential of the Tripartite FTA to resolve fragmentation and calls for a cost-benefit analysis of integration to align regional priorities with national interests.

• Most African regional economic communities (RECs) follow a linear European model of integration (FTA, Customs Union, Common Market, Monetary Union, and Political Federation), but there is a recognized need for alternative endogenous models that better suit African countries. Currently, the East Africa Community (EAC) and Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) are at the second stage, while the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is struggling to operationalize its FTA.
• Overlapping memberships in multiple RECs have created a complex web of competing commitments and differing standards, which increases costs for intra-African trade and undermines trade facilitation. The Africa Free Trade Zone (Tripartite FTA), covering SADC, COMESA, and EAC, is an initiative intended to resolve this fragmentation by prioritizing infrastructure and trade facilitation.
• Regional integration often leads to unbalanced economic development, where industries cluster in dominant member states such as South Africa, Egypt, and Kenya, fueling 'big brother' fears among smaller states. This is exacerbated by member states prioritizing narrow short-term national interests and sovereignty over regional development objectives.
• Except for SACU, most RECs are heavily dependent on external donors, primarily the European Commission and other European aid agencies, which risks creating complacency among member states and allowing donors to 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 of regional bodies, while bilateral relations with China are welcomed for addressing infrastructure backlogs but 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} }