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The research paper investigates whether the South African Customs Union (SACU) is ready to transition from a Common Monetary Area (CMA) to a full monetary union. Using Southern African Development Community (SADC) convergence criteria, the authors find that while there is strong convergence in inflation, national debt, and reserve holdings, significant volatility and lack of discipline in fiscal deficits—particularly in Lesotho and Swaziland—remain a primary hurdle. The study suggests that a monetary union would be beneficial and that the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) could continue to lead monetary policy, provided fiscal coordination is improved.

The CDKN East Africa Climate Finance Workshop identified a gap between pledged and required climate finance and highlighted the need for supportive policy environments and institutional architecture to improve readiness. Participants noted a preference for grants over loans, particularly for adaptation, and emphasized the importance of inter-ministerial coordination and private sector engagement to catalyze financial flows toward low-emission and climate-resilient options.

The document outlines the regional expansion of Capricorn Investment Holdings (CIH) from Namibia into Botswana and Zambia, detailing the regulatory, fiscal, and infrastructural challenges encountered. Key barriers identified include the absence of double taxation agreements with Zambia, skill shortages in Namibia, and the high cost of compulsory IT system localisation. CIH advocates for a regional currency within SADC to reduce exchange rate volatility and suggests that Southern African countries should specialise in specific services to foster genuine regional integration.

The document analyzes the evolution of China's strategies to secure mineral resources in Africa, moving from a primary reliance on 'infrastructure-for-resources' loans to a more diversified approach emphasizing mergers and acquisitions (M&A). While infrastructure-for-resources deals have been effective in locking in long-term supply, they have often failed to secure hard equity assets due to project delays and political instability. In contrast, the 2008-09 global financial crisis enabled Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to use their high liquidity to acquire significant mining and oil assets through M&As, particularly in the mining sector. The author concludes that while the Chinese state remains a critical financier, the strategy has shifted toward more market-oriented, direct acquisitions to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers and gain control over commodity prices.

The document details CDKN's support for the Government of Bangladesh in mainstreaming climate resilience through a three-block framework (enabling environment, policies/planning, and projects/programmes) and developing evidence-based policies on loss and damage and climate-induced migration. It highlights specific impacts in Sathkira District, where salinity intrusion caused total rice crop failure in 2009, and notes the existence of national funding mechanisms like the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund.

The report examines the 'temporal scope' of the Nagoya Protocol, specifically whether access and benefit-sharing (ABS) obligations are triggered by the initial physical access to genetic resources (GRs) and traditional knowledge (TK) or by their subsequent utilisation. It argues that the European Commission's draft proposal, which limits obligations to resources accessed after the Protocol's entry into force, contradicts the ABS laws of many provider countries (such as Ethiopia, India, and South Africa) where utilisation is the trigger. The authors contend that this discrepancy will lead to legal uncertainty for EU users, who may be compliant with EU law but liable for criminal charges in provider countries, and will disincentivise provider countries from facilitating access to their biodiversity.

The document analyzes Zambia's energy sector and the incentives provided by the government to attract private investment in renewable energy. It details a framework of fiscal incentives (tax exemptions on dividends, import duties, and corporate tax), financial incentives (grants from the Rural Electrification Fund and government-backed loan guarantees for ZESCO), and other support services provided by the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) and the Office for Promoting Private Power Investment (OPPPI). While stakeholders report a generally positive trend and increased interest in projects, the report notes a lack of transparency regarding the actual costs of these incentives and a need for greater legal clarity regarding which renewable energy technologies qualify for support.

The report argues that traditional anti-money laundering (AML) efforts, which focus on the banking sector, are insufficient in cash-based economies where over 50% of transactions occur in cash. In these environments, the conventional phases of money laundering—placement, layering, and integration—are often bypassed because proceeds of crime can be integrated into the economy without ever entering the formal financial system. The author identifies several drivers of this vulnerability, including low bank penetration, onerous documentation requirements, and systemic corruption. Key laundering typologies highlighted include the use of unregulated bureaus de change, real estate acquisition (notably in Tanzania), and alternative remittance systems like hawala. The report concludes that FATF recommendations are often poorly adapted to these realities and calls for a pragmatic approach to increasing bankability, regulating mobile money, and empowering Financial Intelligence Units to engage with the informal sector.

The draft report outlines the initial administrative and operational steps taken by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board, including the election of Co-Chairs, the selection process for a host country, and the establishment of an Interim Secretariat. It details the role of the World Bank as Interim Trustee and provides a financial snapshot of the Fund's trust fund as of September 2012. The report also maps GCF's progress against specific guidance provided by the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC.

The report examines Namibia's legal and policy landscape regarding Indigenous Peoples’ and Local Communities’ Conserved Territories and Areas (ICCAs), focusing on the tension between state-owned land claims and community resource rights. It details the formalization of ICCAs through communal area conservancies and community forests, while highlighting the critical lack of secure group land tenure as a primary threat to sustainable management. The document also assesses the impact of state-run protected areas on indigenous groups like the San and Herero, noting a general government policy of providing financial benefits through concessions while denying formal land rights or co-management authority.

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.

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 document outlines systemic inefficiencies at SADC borders, including endemic corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and bureaucratic hurdles that delay logistics. It highlights specific failures in electronic customs systems, such as at the Beitbridge Border, and contrasts the restrictive work permit environment in Botswana with the more efficient systems in Mozambique and Mauritius.

The Daan Viljoen Nature Reserve project is a 30-year PPP between Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) and the Prosperity Group (via subsidiary San Karros Lifestyle Safari) to rehabilitate dilapidated tourism infrastructure. The project involved an initial $40 million investment, with further phases planned for a conference facility and a medical tourism park. Implementation faced significant hurdles, including the absence of a national PPP policy and unit, bureaucratic delays, and labor disputes resulting from the requirement to absorb state employees at non-market salary rates. Environmental challenges include poaching, illegal firewood harvesting, and encroachment from the Otshimushe informal settlement. Despite these barriers and initial over-capitalization, the project has reached a balance of income and expenditure and has contributed to the development of Namibia's national PPP policy.

Namibia Dairies faces significant threats from the dumping of long-life milk by South African companies following the expiration of infant industry protection. The company reports systemic barriers including difficult VAT claim processes, conservative bank lending, and a shortage of qualified engineers due to a lack of national industrial policy and restrictive work permit regulations. Regional trade is hindered by non-tariff barriers, such as lengthy border delays in Angola and rigorous, time-consuming certification requirements in Botswana that reduce product shelf life. To mitigate these issues, the company has invested in private pre-inspections for Angolan exports and R&D for flexible shelf life, while lobbying the Namibian government for punitive tariffs against South African imports.

DB Schenker, a German logistics multinational, expanded its Namibian presence in April 2012 by acquiring Desert Logistics. The company identifies a specific cross-border taxation system between Namibia and South Africa—requiring exporters to pay 25% of South African tax before transactions—as a significant risk to its long-term financial survival. Additionally, the company highlights the need for continued maintenance of transport corridors, such as the Trans Kalahari, to prevent increased transport times and insurance costs. While the company views corruption as a habitual practice in Africa and finds SADC communication technologies and licensing transparency positive, it warns that the unique tax structure between Namibia and South Africa requires political resolution.

Wesbank Transport, a Namibian logistics leader, faces significant barriers to regional expansion and efficiency due to non-standardized road permit systems, limited insurance coverage across SADC, and customs congestion. These challenges, alongside a lack of secure truck ports and restrictive visa regulations for drivers, force the company to avoid lucrative markets and focus only on predictable routes, resulting in lost revenue and reduced vehicle productivity.

Lobatse Clay Works faces significant operational and financial hurdles when exporting bricks in Southern Africa, primarily due to inconsistent weighbridge readings, varying vehicle permit and insurance costs—including a newly introduced carbon tax—and divergent regional policies such as VAT calculations. The firm reports that the Southern African Customs Union (SAUC) tariff structure favors South Africa over Botswana's interests. Despite participating in SADC forums, the company perceives a lack of progress on these long-standing trade barriers, noting that engagement with policymakers has yielded no outcomes.

Nakara, a Namibian leather manufacturer employing 150 people, faces significant business constraints due to a lack of local technical skills and bureaucratic delays in obtaining work and export permits. The company's primary export market is South Africa, where it encounters severe cash flow issues because it must prepay VAT on behalf of medium-sized customers who cannot afford 'Deferred VAT Accounts'. Despite engaging with the Namibian Ministries of Environment and Tourism, Finance, and Trade and Industry, the company reports that no positive resolutions have been achieved to reduce these trade barriers.