Transport Services in SACU: Accelerating Harmonisation and Liberalisation

The document assesses the transport sectors of SACU member states, highlighting a significant shift from rail to road and the strategic importance of South African infrastructure for landlocked neighbors. It identifies regulatory fragmentation and high logistics costs as primary barriers to trade. The report advocates for the implementation of the SADC Transport Protocol and provides a strategic framework for member states to align their national policies with the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) to attract investment and improve efficiency.

• Transport services contribute significantly to the GDP of SACU nations, with South Africa at 5.5%, Swaziland at 5.9%, Lesotho at 4.5%, Namibia at 4.0%, and Botswana at 3.6% as of 2006/2007.
• Logistics costs in Southern Africa are among the highest globally, estimated to range between 15% and 40% of the total value of trade in the region.
• There has been a massive shift from rail to road transport for general goods; for example, a 775km trip that was 15% more expensive by road in 1991 became 15% more expensive by rail six years later.
• The Port of Durban is the largest general cargo port in Africa and the regional hub for container traffic, handling 51.0% of all non-dry bulk cargo at SACU ports in 2007.
• Road infrastructure is deteriorating across the region due to widespread overloading of heavy vehicles and weak controls, reducing the maintenance cycle from 710 years to 35 years.
• Border crossings are major bottlenecks; for instance, a heavy-duty vehicle traveling from Durban to Lusaka previously took approximately 60 hours to clear the Beit Bridge border post.
• The aviation sector is characterized by state-owned national carriers and a slow implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision, which aims to liberalize African air transport markets.
• Only South Africa and Lesotho have made offers in the transport sector under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), and both are limited to road transportation.
• The SADC Transport Protocol provides a framework for harmonisation, including model legislation for ports, railways, and roads, but implementation varies significantly among member states.

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} }