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This research paper explores the potential for establishing regional automotive value chains within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) by drawing lessons from the ASEAN Industrial Cooperation (AICO) scheme. It analyzes the current state of the automotive sector in Southern Africa, the barriers to integration, and potential strategies for enhancing regional competitiveness.

This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the role of Regional Value Chains (RVCs) and Global Value Chains (GVCs) in promoting sustainable development and regional integration in Southern Africa, highlighting South Africa's central role in providing intermediate goods to neighboring countries.

This report examines the expansion of South African and other SADC supermarket chains across Southern Africa, analyzing the drivers of this growth, the retail models used, and the resulting impacts on local suppliers and regional trade.

This report examines Botswana's foreign policy within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), analyzing the transition from the consultative 'quiet diplomacy' of past administrations to the more outspoken and pragmatic approach of President Ian Khama. It details the institutional frameworks governing Botswana's external engagements and the historical influences of the Front Line States and the country's landlocked geography.

This briefing from the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the intersection of food safety, health security, and human security in Southern Africa. It argues that food insecurity and reliance on unsafe food sources strain already constrained health systems and hinder socioeconomic development, calling for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to increase agricultural capacity and reduce dependence on food exports and aid.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) examines the tension between South Africa's regional dominance and its aspirations for integration in Southern Africa. Drawing on a 2013 perceptions survey of foreign policy practitioners, the author analyzes how South Africa's economic, political, and security influence is perceived by its neighbors and suggests ways to improve regional legitimacy through increased consultation and multilateralism.

This policy brief examines the risks climate change poses to large-scale hydropower infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa and the current lack of climate service integration in the planning process. It argues that while hydropower is critical for energy security, most projects rely on historical data that ignore future hydrological shifts, leaving long-lived assets vulnerable to failure or inefficiency.

This research paper examines the capacity of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to implement post-conflict reconstruction and development (PCRD) and explores how South Africa can leverage its membership to strengthen these activities. The author argues that SADC is currently constrained by a state-centric approach to security, structural silos, and a lack of institutional capacity, leaving PCRD responsibilities to individual member states. By comparing SADC with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the paper suggests that SADC needs to adopt a more holistic, human-security-based approach and improve its coordination with the African Union (AU) and international donors.

This document is the introductory section and table of contents for a report titled "Regional Business Barriers: Unlocking Economic Potential in Southern Africa," co-published by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in November 2014. It outlines the report's structure, which includes analyses of the business-enabling environment and regional economic trends, alongside nine specific case studies focusing on trade, finance, energy, and regulatory barriers within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

This report assesses the state of knowledge regarding climate change vulnerability and adaptation preparedness in Zimbabwe, highlighting a lack of specific policy responses and weak implementation capacity.

This research paper analyzes the impact of 'mega-regional' trade agreements on the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the strategic position of South Africa. It argues that the rise of agreements like the TPP and TTIP, driven by the needs of global value chains, threatens the WTO's centrality and creates a risk of a multi-bloc trade world. The author suggests that South Africa must recalibrate its trade strategy, move beyond a blocking strategy in the WTO, and utilize regional negotiations to prepare for new global regulatory norms to avoid isolation.

This case study examines the complexities of regional infrastructure planning in Southern Africa, focusing on the SADC Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan (RIDMP). It analyzes the roles of various stakeholders—including governments, development finance institutions, donors, and the private sector—and discusses the challenges of financing, coordination, and the socio-environmental impacts of large-scale projects, using the Lesotho Highlands Water Project as a specific example.

This case study examines the challenges and mechanisms for financing infrastructure in Africa, with a specific focus on the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It analyzes the shift from official development assistance and commercial bank lending toward alternative funding modalities, including Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), infrastructure bonds, sovereign wealth funds, and diaspora-led financing, to meet the massive capital requirements of regional development plans.

This case study provides a political-economy analysis of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional support programme for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). It examines the valuation of forests as global, regional, and local public goods, the challenges of forest governance in Southern Africa, and the implementation of a regional MRV (measurement, reporting, and verification) project to support carbon sequestration goals while balancing regional equity.

This case study examines the establishment and impact of Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) in Southern Africa, analyzing how these regional public goods facilitate regional integration through the cooperation of member states, NGOs, and the private sector.

This case study examines the development of the Regional Electricity Market (REM) within the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), an association of national utilities from Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states. It analyzes the transition from a cooperative pool to a competitive market, the role of Independent Power Producers (IPPs), and the challenges posed by diverse national agendas and infrastructure deficits.

This case study examines the role of the Communications Regulators’ Association Southern Africa (CRASA) in harmonising telecommunications, broadcasting, and postal policies among member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It highlights the active participation of private sector companies, such as Vodacom and MTN, within government delegations to provide technical expertise and influence regional regulatory frameworks.

The Centre for Environmental Rights, acting on behalf of groundWork, the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), and the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA), submitted comments on 5 February 2013 regarding the draft National Dust Control Regulations published on 7 December 2012 under the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004 (AQA). The submission argues for stronger protections for vulnerable populations, more rigorous monitoring standards, and the inclusion of government entities in enforcement.

This research paper argues for the implementation of systematic approaches to understand the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus across various scales and sectors to achieve sustainable development goals. It presents a continuum of assessment tools, ranging from qualitative methods like index building to quantitative data-driven modelling, to support cooperative governance and resource management.

This research paper examines how community based natural resource management (CBNRM) can contribute to community based adaptation (CBA) in southern Africa. It highlights that while local incentives drive initial action, scaling up requires an enabling environment of policies and institutions. The paper identifies governance, poverty reduction, and ecosystems as the key overlapping drivers for both CBNRM and CBA.