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The briefing examines food insecurity in Africa, highlighting that sub-Saharan countries are the most food insecure globally. It discusses the role of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), the G-8's New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, and the challenges posed by trade barriers and the Doha Round impasse. The authors argue that while trade is essential, it must be part of a comprehensive policy package including agricultural investment and financial innovation to ensure long-term food security.

The document argues that South Africa's status as an economic gateway is primarily driven by its geography and infrastructure, though this role is challenged by emerging regional and global competitors. It assesses South Africa's capacity as a hub for regional headquarters, logistics, sourcing, and finance, while examining the impact of transport corridors and trade policies on its regional dominance.

The document examines Africa's role in the 'global nuclear renaissance,' noting that the continent holds 18% of world uranium resources. It details the production activities of Namibia, Niger, Malawi, and South Africa, while identifying emerging exploration in countries like the Central African Republic and Tanzania. The author argues that while uranium mining provides significant GDP contributions and employment, it is plagued by governance challenges, including a lack of institutional capacity to monitor environmental and health impacts. The paper compares African practices with those in Canada and Australia and suggests that strengthening government capacity and adopting international best practices, such as those from the IAEA and EITI, are essential for sustainable development.

The report argues that tropical wood production can be sustainable if shifted away from primary forest logging toward high-yield plantations on degraded lands. It highlights the role of certification programs like FSC and PEFC, though it notes low adoption rates in high-deforestation regions. The document provides specific recommendations for producers, businesses, consumers, and governments to reduce the environmental impact of wood and paper products.

A study of 50 companies in Southern Africa identifies a split in trade barriers between SACU members and non-members, with common constraints including customs delays, corruption, and infrastructure deficits. While large firms can manage these hurdles, the environment is not conducive to small-business growth. The report recommends the implementation of a SADC-wide business visa, uniform labour permit regulations, and improvements to weighbridge and border crossing systems to facilitate trade.

The report analyzes the private sector's role in the REDD+ supply chain, identifying key players as investors, producers, brokers, advisors, auditors, and end-buyers. It highlights critical barriers such as policy uncertainty, land tenure disputes, and the need for robust social and environmental safeguards. The document proposes strategies to scale up private investment, including the integration of REDD+ into compliance carbon markets, the adoption of nested crediting frameworks, and the inclusion of extractive industries in conservation dialogues.

The document details the business environment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo through the experience of ALASKA, a company importing goods from South Africa and Mauritius. It highlights systemic failures in the DRC's administration, including a cumbersome investment code requiring travel to Kinshasa for registration, high levels of corruption among agencies like the DGDA and OCC, and a fragmented tax system. Infrastructure deficits, specifically poor roads and lack of electricity, increase transport costs and limit the import of frozen products. Additionally, the company faces financial hurdles due to a lack of trust in Congolese banks, high interest rates (up to 36% per annum for micro-finance), and a lack of harmonization in regional SADC traffic laws regarding truck weight loads.

The Bakhresa Group, a diversified conglomerate with an annual turnover exceeding USD 300 million, operates across several SADC Member States. The company faces significant operational hurdles, including inadequate energy and transport infrastructure, non-harmonised taxation, and excessive regulatory bureaucracy. These barriers increase the cost of doing business, reduce returns on investment, and limit capital for reinvestment. To mitigate these issues, the group engages in direct relationship-building with government agencies and lobbies through business councils, while advocating for regional infrastructure investment and streamlined trade facilitation.

Aluminium Africa Limited (ALAF), a leading aluminium and steel company in Tanzania, faces significant operational barriers in the SADC region, primarily driven by inadequate energy and transport infrastructure, inefficient border controls, and regulatory uncertainty. These challenges increase business costs and reduce product competitiveness. To mitigate these issues, ALAF has invested in internal backup power and lobbied the Tanzanian government, though the company notes a lack of tangible government action and minimal engagement with the SADC Secretariat.

The Mohammed Enterprises Tanzania Ltd (MeTL) Group, a major conglomerate contributing 2.5% of Tanzania's GDP, faces significant operational barriers in the SADC region, primarily due to unreliable power, poor transport infrastructure, and regulatory uncertainty. MeTL reports that expensive and unreliable electricity makes local goods uncompetitive, with the Confederation of Tanzania Industry estimating annual business income losses of USD 19.6M from power interruptions. To mitigate these issues, MeTL is investing in a container depot near the Port of Dar es Salaam and planning biogas electricity generation from sisal waste. The group advocates for regional industrialization policies to protect strategic industries from competition from India and China, alongside the implementation of a regional Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework for infrastructure development.

Sumaria Group (T) Ltd, a diversified manufacturing family business based in Tanzania, faces significant systemic barriers to growth in the SADC region. Key obstacles include a lack of pharmaceutical standards harmonization, unreliable and expensive energy and transport infrastructure, and an unpredictable regulatory environment in Tanzania. To mitigate power shortages, the company has invested in stand-by generators, which increases production costs. The group advocates for regional cooperation on electricity generation, the finalization of the Zambia interconnector, and streamlined trade facilitation to reduce the cost of doing business.

MADEL FOOD, a frozen foods importer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, faces significant barriers to growth including a lack of credit for large investments, high and multiple taxes, and currency volatility. The company highlights systemic corruption and inefficient customs procedures as major constraints, noting that bribes are often a condition for public services. Infrastructure deficits, specifically poor road quality, lead to delivery delays and stock ruptures. While the government has promised to ease licensing and customs procedures through the Congolese Federation of Private Enterprises, the company reports that these improvements have not yet materialized.

The document details the operational challenges faced by the firm Tristan in exporting goods from South Africa to other African markets, particularly Angola. Key obstacles include unpredictable visa processes, inefficient customs procedures involving 'dispatchants', inconsistent import bans, and a dysfunctional banking system in Angola. Additionally, the firm faces high costs and delays due to South African fish export permit requirements. The case study highlights how these barriers increase financial risk and reduce profit margins, leading the firm to recommend the creation of a SADC Business Visa and a regional business chamber.

The Swaziland Sugar Association (SSA) manages the marketing and sale of sugarcane for Swazi growers and millers, distributing 50% of its product within SACU and the remainder to Europe. The association faces significant hurdles including limited local access to finance due to regulatory constraints and government debt crowding, poorly developed transport infrastructure in the SADC region, and trade barriers such as import limitations and scanning charges in Mozambique. These factors increase operational costs and limit market expansion. Future challenges include the need to pivot toward regional markets as European sugar markets open to more competitors and the requirement to meet evolving food safety and fortification standards.

The document details the obstacles Shenimed encounters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including systemic corruption in customs and certification processes, high tax burdens, and poor transport infrastructure. It highlights how a lack of reliable electricity forced the company to cease local production in Bukavu and shift to imports from Tanzania. Financial challenges are noted, specifically currency instability of the Congolese franc and a shortage of loans leading to cash flow difficulties. The company advocates for reduced customs procedures, the removal of non-tariff barriers, and better state-private sector consultation to improve the business environment.

The document details the challenges faced by ALBARTOS, a Kinshasa-based trading company, highlighting systemic corruption, inefficient administration, and poor infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of Congo. To navigate these obstacles, the company relies on consultants and informal networks with public officials to expedite permits and avoid over-taxation.

The Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) is a public-private partnership established in 2000 to increase cargo for the Port of Walvis Bay and improve linked transport corridors. It integrates public regulators and private operators to provide logistics services for landlocked SADC countries via the Trans-Kalahari, Trans-Caprivi, Trans-Cunene, and Trans-Oranje corridors. Key barriers identified include stakeholder fragmentation, high administrative costs, border corruption, and safety risks from roaming animals. To address these, the WBCG promotes 'Accredited Economic Operators' status to reduce border delays and is implementing a 'single window IT infra-structure' to lower trade costs.

This report examines the drivers and flows of tropical timber exports from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through Uganda to regional markets, highlighting the prevalence of unregulated trade and the disparity in benefits among actors within the supply chain.

The document examines the flow of tropical timber from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into Uganda and the wider East African region. It highlights the challenges of regulating this trade due to its informal nature and the influence of powerful middlemen. The authors argue that regional cooperation, improved infrastructure, and the promotion of plantation forestry in Uganda are essential to reduce illegal trade and pressure on natural forests. Key recommendations include utilizing the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) for coordination and aligning timber certification standards across the DRC and East African Community (EAC) members.

The report examines the trade of tropical timber from the eastern DRC through Uganda to regional and international markets. It finds that approximately 80% of timber leaving the eastern DRC enters Uganda, where it is either consumed locally or transited to Kenya and South Sudan. The trade is characterized by high levels of informality, significant revenue loss for the DRC, and a profit structure that heavily favors middlemen and politically connected traders over primary producers and transporters. While international markets are increasingly regulated by frameworks like EU FLEGT and the US Lacey Act, regional trade remains largely unregulated due to timber shortages in East Africa. The report highlights the role of the Northern Transit Corridor in facilitating these flows and suggests that bottom-up regional cooperation, similar to the Albertine Rift Strategic Planning Process, could improve sustainability and governance.