Magister Legum - LLM / This study aims to evaluate the prospective benefits and challenges of developing a regional competition regulatory framework in SADC. Further, the study seeks to identify important lessons from the EU and COMESA that are crucial for the pursuance of a regional competition regulatory framework.

This thesis is structured around two main and interwoven assumptions operating at two levels. On the one level the external dimension of security threat in Southern Africa is assumed to be the most critical factor for regional renewal and stability. It hinges on pertinent regional issues such as negative trade balances, economic dependence, poverty, unemployment, poor economic growth rates and so forth. The corollary of this assumption is that within the operative framework of SADC, Southern African states are assumed capable of effectively integrating their economies through trade and related arrangements with dominant external actors in the highly competitive global economy. The European Union (EU) and the United States (US) are used as the focal points for illumination. A structured interaction between SADC and the EU within a revised North-South framework of interaction is hypothesized and critically examined. On the other hand, SADC-US interactions are assessed within the context of the new US Africa policy. At another level, the assumption is also made that the post-apartheid democratic state possesses both the political will and the wherewithal to provide regiol].al Leadership. This latter assumption is put to test within the framework of South Africa's regional foreign policy. Adopting an explicit regional unit of analysis, the study utilizes international regime theory as the theoretical and conceptual point of departure. The realist conception of the international system and the underlying assumptions usually considered as obstacles to international cooperation are critically examined in the context of the post-Cold War expanded security agenda. Regime theory is used to provide insight on the motivations that lead states to cooperate in situations of mutual dilemma by institutionalizing patterns of interaction at the regional and international systemic levels. Interstate economic relations at these levels are explained as state actions that are influenced by certain norms and that such norm-governed behaviour is wholly consistent with the pursuit of national interest. Application of the theory explains why such foreign policy behaviour of states is particularly relevant in the post-Cold War era. The thesis has argued that SADC states are capable of conducting a coordinated trade foreign policy in which regional positions are elaborated and adopted. It is argued further that a regional capacity to institute trade and economic policies that reflect local circumstances (necessary for effective integration with the world economy) calls for strong regional developmental democracies in the tradition of social market economy. Regional leadership by South Africa is considered indispensable where Sbuth Africa must find a sustainable balance between its national and regional interests.

Attaining high levels of economic growth and development has been one the goals of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). This paper investigates the relationship between financial liberalisation and economic growth in SADC countries. Annual data for the 15 SADC countries for the period 1985-2011 was used to develop a fixed effect model, generalised method of moments (GMM) as well as the fully-modified OLS (FMOLS) cointegration test. The results revealed that there is a positive relationship between financial liberalisation and economic growth in SADC but there is no long-run relationship between the two variables. It is recommended that the SADC adopt measures to increase the level of financial openness in the region in order to increase economic growth but this policy should be supplemented by other growth enhancing policies in order to increase economic growth over the long-term. However, prior to the increase in the level of financial openness, well-defined property rights and a sound regulatory framework should be in place to monitor the financial liberalisation process in order to avoid financial crises.

M.A. / The rationale for economic integration is that countries combine to form regional groupings with the belief that this is a more effective way to improve their well-being politically and economically. Theories of economic integration show that integration may have both positive and negative outcomes. Despite the long standing debates on the negative consequences of regional integration, the dominant views indicate that regional integration may improve the welfare of member nations. The political decision has already been made in favour of trade integration within the SADC region. It is for this reason that this study has been undertaken to determine prospects and problems of economic integration in the SADC. Despite the anticipated problems and challenges for economic integration within the region, some studies and findings show positive prospects. The major findings of this study are that the region is on the right path to economic recovery, and has an opportunity to play a meaningful role within the world economy. The dominant and most industrialized, South Africa, will serve as an economic power within the region. The reform process that have been initiated by the SADC member countries have now put the regional economies on the right track. The region also had a remarkable economic performance as a result of the implementation of the positive macroeconomic policies and strategies. Although Africa is not the main player within the world economy, the region has a meaningful role to play, especially if the region's foreign trade increases by the estimated 18 percent. The role of South Africa as an economic power within the region is expected to serve as a spring-board of economic development within the region. It is also anticipated that economic growth within South Africa may spill-over into the whole region. The smaller SADC economies are likely to benefit from the relocation of South African industries into the region as a result of external tariffs vis-a-vis non member states, as well as higher South African wage levels. It is, however, acknowledged that integration would benefit some countries more than others. What is of paramount importance is that integration will leave all the countries either better off or not worse off, inside the grouping than the country would have been outside the grouping. This means that the economic welfare increases within the region as long as no member country will not be worse off than before joining the union. To remedy the possible unequal benefits of economic integration, compensatory and transfer-of-funds strategies will have to be adopted to minimize all the negative impacts of the imbalance between member countries. The SADC's global competitiveness changed lately as a result of initial steps toward integration and some member countries, are now ranked higher than most countries in the continent of Africa.

Maize is the most grown staple crop in Africa, and white maize is of particular importance because it is the dominant staple food particularly throughout southern Africa to the extent that maize shortages lead to food security emergencies. These emergencies are compounded by SADC’s limited ability to respond to production and supply shocks. In response to these shocks, SADC countries supplement local maize production with trade and food aid leading to a robust regional white maize market. In an attempt to bolster trade SADC member states sign substantial regional arrangements, with similar objectives and common participants all in the hope of strengthening trade and with it maize trade. This study seeks to find means to improve intra-SADC maize trade relations, through defining the determinants for intra-regional maize trade, and determine if SADC members’ sub-regional groupings have an effect on maize trade. The study makes use of a gravity model to estimate the value of trade; specifically a Tobit model with random effects by Maximum Likelihood Estimation. The partner country population was found to have a positive effect (0.749) on maize trade at 5% level of significance. This suggests that countries that have greater populations and consequently larger market sizes for the regional staple maize tend to trade more. Maize aid distribution was found to be a statistically significant determinant of intra-regional maize trade to the extent that it encourages regional maize trade. Transport infrastructure was also found to positively influence intra-SADC maize trade, as infrastructure transportation systems are critical for the purposes of moving goods and labour to facilitate production and trade. The premise that bilateral maize trade between any two countries is negatively related to the relative importance of economic relationships between the reporter country and the partner countries that are located far away, as opposed to those located nearby, is supported by the negative impact distance has on maize trade (-1.670 significant at 10% level), while the propensity to trade increases if the two trading countries share a common border. The net grain position of member states influences intra-SADC maize trade as shown by the statistically significant positive relationship between trade and a net grain deficit position, suggesting that SADC member states are likely to engage in intra-SADC trade should they find themselves in a deficit trade position presumably from the nearest most accessible surplus state. Sub-regional groups SACU and COMESA were found to have no influence on maize trade. / Dissertation (MSc(Agric))--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / Mozambique has inherited from colonialism a backward agricultural sector based mainly in plantations of export crops, dominated by white settlers and a handful of foreign companies. Production of food crops, especially maize (which constitutes the main cereal food for the population), was mainly undertaken by the traditional agricultural sector. Combined events, from central planning of production to war and natural disasters, have made unsuccessful the governmental objectives of modernising the agricultural sector and making it more productive, in order to ensure a normal food supply, leading to a permanent situation of food shortage. The "free market" economy introduced in 1987 under the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), brought very little progress in terms of food crop production, leaving the country reliant on continued foreign food aid and imports. Recent studies of problems of low agricultural output in general and on the SAP performance in particular, have shown that the private sector, which is benefiting from SAP's investments, is biased towards cash crop production. The traditional agricultural sector, the biggest food producer in Mozambique, is facing integration problems into the new "free market" economy. This study has attempted to clarify the problems, which lie behind the difficulties in market integration of this sector of national agriculture. This is of particular importance, especially in this crucial moment of the ongoing regional food security project, within Southern African Development Community. The study has produced evidence of a lack of appropriate incentives within the traditional agricultural sector under SAP, mainly with regard to the marketing network and buyer of last resort in case of market failure. This includes absence of road facilities, rural shops and respective goods and commodities of interest to the peasantry. The study showed also that it is important to regulate commercialisation of food aid and food import, to ease the market for food crops locally produced. This could enable a gradual integration of rural markets. Conscious that the lack of the above-mentioned incentives may not be the only explanation for the persisting food shortage, I therefore suggest further research on the topic on appropriate incentives for the traditional agricultural sector, given its fragility and vulnerability within the free market economy.

Telecommunications development in southern Africa is encouraged by economic opportunity, government-level support (such as the Southern African Development Corporation, or SADC) and market trends (de-monopolisation and market liberalisation). Various markets in the SADC region offer telecommunications operators solid growth potential and the advantages of geographic diversification. Operators entering the new markets will generally do so in the mode of partnerships, alliances or Greenfield operations. However, the context in which they function, independent of the mode of entrance, will tend to be defined by the telecommunications and ICT industry; that is, within an interoperator environment. “Interoperator” is referred to in a broad sense, i.e. enterprise interaction between operators / service providers and across the value chain. The existence of interoperator relationships is thus taken as an assumption. A carefully managed network rollout and technological evolution plan is required together with critical market and business considerations to succeed with expansion into SADC markets. This paper presents a logical methodology for telecoms operators (mobile or fixed) to guide network development and formulate strategy particular to the SADC deployment area. A proposed development framework gives structure and organisation to the various aspects – business requirements, technology choices and market decisions – of a telecoms business in Southern Africa. The total model consists of 4 associated representations which fit logically in an enabling framework. Central to the framework is a technology decision methodology, guiding the technological evolution toward a Next Generation Network (NGN) services core whilst preserving existing investment, smoothing interoperation of elements and legacy technologies and subordinating decisions to business needs. Alignment of services and products to the business plan and that of the customer needs is also addressed through the “considerations and applications” and “customer visibility circle” representations. The regulatory environment, licence stipulations and interconnect agreements are important inputs to the framework. The output is the formulation of a high-level strategy roadmap, and evaluation and feedback methodology. The realisation of a clear, defined roadmap through which telecommunications development in the SADC can be guided provides telecommunications operators with a high-level framework that structures, orders and orientates all necessary elements with long-term goals and business requirements. / Dissertation (MEng (Technology Management))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) / unrestricted

No description available.

This dissertation analyses and appraises factors that lead SADCC/SADC to restructure in 1992 and in 1999 respectively. Regime theory is used as an analytical tool of these factors throughout this study. The restructuring of regional organisation in the world is often associated with a decision that is taken by regional leaders, only to hide failures of these organisations to deliver. Studies of this phenomenon, however, frequently fail to research the underlying causes. In the case of SADCC/SADC, apart from the fact that the organisation failed to achieve its intended objectives, such as regional integration, economic independence, regional security, and more, this study argues that there were a lot of elements that influenced the pace and the operations of SADCC/C in achieving regional integration and other objectives. The basic debate in this study thus revolves around the fact that the restructuring exercise in SADCC/SADC was a result of many factors and this argument is supported by the regime theory. / Political Science / M.A. (Political Science)

This dissertation analyses and appraises factors that lead SADCC/SADC to restructure in 1992 and in 1999 respectively. Regime theory is used as an analytical tool of these factors throughout this study. The restructuring of regional organisation in the world is often associated with a decision that is taken by regional leaders, only to hide failures of these organisations to deliver. Studies of this phenomenon, however, frequently fail to research the underlying causes. In the case of SADCC/SADC, apart from the fact that the organisation failed to achieve its intended objectives, such as regional integration, economic independence, regional security, and more, this study argues that there were a lot of elements that influenced the pace and the operations of SADCC/C in achieving regional integration and other objectives. The basic debate in this study thus revolves around the fact that the restructuring exercise in SADCC/SADC was a result of many factors and this argument is supported by the regime theory. / Political Science / M.A. (Political Science)