Transport Services in SACU: Accelerating Harmonisation and Liberalisation

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) examines the transport services sector within the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), focusing on the need for harmonisation and liberalisation across road, rail, maritime, and air transport to enhance regional economic integration and global competitiveness.

• Transport services contribute significantly to the GDP of SACU member states, with contributions of 5.5% in South Africa, 3.6% in Botswana, 4.0% in Namibia, 4.5% in Lesotho, and 5.9% in Swaziland as of 2006/2007.
• SACU is a net importer of transport services, with South Africa acting as the largest exporter and importer within the union. Between 2000 and 2005, total imports grew from $2,894.88 million to $5,808.24 million, while exports grew from $1,290.31 million to $1,647.09 million.
• Road transport has largely replaced rail for general goods traffic in the region. This shift is partly due to cost differences; for example, finished goods moving 775km were 15% more expensive by road than rail in 1991, but by 1997, rail had become 15% more expensive than road.
• The Port of Durban is the largest general cargo port in Africa and the regional hub for container traffic, handling 51.0% of all cargo (excluding dry bulk) at SACU ports in 2007.
• High logistics costs in Southern Africa, estimated between 15% and 40% of the total trade value, hinder the competitiveness of regional exports and increase the cost of imports.
• The SADC Transport Protocol, ratified by all SACU members, provides a framework for harmonising regional transport infrastructure, including the establishment of national roads authorities and the application of the 'user pays' principle.
• Road transport harmonisation has seen some success, such as the adoption of the SADC drivers licence by Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zambia.
• The Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) aims to liberalise African air transport markets to reduce fragmentation and create a few strong regional airlines, but implementation among SACU members and other African states has been slow.
• Only South Africa and Lesotho have made offers in the transport sector under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), both limited to road transportation (passenger, freight, and equipment maintenance).
• Regulatory bottlenecks and a lack of coordination across modes and jurisdictions hinder SACU's competitiveness. The report recommends a lead role for the SACU Secretariat in coordinating GATS negotiations due to capacity shortages in national government departments.

APA

Disenyana, T., & Khumalo, N. (2009). Transport Services in SACU: Accelerating Harmonisation and Liberalisation. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/Research-Report-1.pdf

Chicago

Disenyana, Tsidiso, and Nkululeko Khumalo. Transport Services in SACU: Accelerating Harmonisation and Liberalisation. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2009. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/Research-Report-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Disenyana |first1=Tsidiso |last2=Khumalo |first2=Nkululeko |title=Transport Services in SACU: Accelerating Harmonisation and Liberalisation |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=January 2009 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/Research-Report-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{disenyana2009transport, author = {Disenyana, Tsidiso and Khumalo, Nkululeko}, title = {{Transport Services in SACU: Accelerating Harmonisation and Liberalisation}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2009}, month = jan, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/Research-Report-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }