The main goal of this research is to investigate whether foreign exchange transacting costs are an impediment to intra-regional trading within the Southern African Development Community SADC region. The research question posed has been whether foreign exchange trading costs affect the amount of intra-regional trading within the SADC region. Once the impediments relating to regional trading have been broken down and the cost effect on Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises SMMEs is established, then possible solutions are proposed. The research discovers that the cost of foreign exchange has an impact on intra-regional trading, but it is not the main hindrance to intra-regional trading in the SADC. It also discovers that the settlement risk of a foreign exchange transaction in the region has not yet been addressed to the same or similar extent as in the developed world. The extent of trading partners’ currency volatility is a function of the amount of trade between those trading partners. The SADC countries’ currency pairs volatility can be reduced by increased trade. Having said that, businesses need to plan and high levels of volatility tend to be disruptive. This is now the area where it is suggested that central banks within the region should actively participate in foreign exchange markets. Central banks should be the facilitator or price-maker of last resort in cases of lack of liquidity of local or foreign currencies. The research suggests that they should play a role in ensuring or reducing the amount of rapid currency spikes that lead to disorderly markets. The research also discovers that SMMEs are a core part of the economies of developing countries, and therefore a serious look at this sector of the economy is suggested. Mobile communication networks, like cell phones, are the current accessible and preferred communications tool among the geographical regions and areas that are hard to reach. Cell phones have also doubled as a form of payment among rural, African countries. The research suggests leeching on the current cell phone iii banking platforms to enable better foreign exchange reach to SMMEs and the general public. It suggests interlinking relationships between banks and cell phone networks, where the cell phone companies facilitate the accessibility and the banks’ liquidity. The report takes cognisance of the fact that, inasmuch as the countries in SADC are geographically close to each other, their political, economic and social dynamics can be wildly different. This would therefore mean that the proposed solutions are not necessarily a one-size-fits-all, but could be adjusted and tweaked to suit individual country dynamics.

Student Number : 0215507F - PhD thesis - School of Mining Engineering - Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment / The minerals sector in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is considered to be the basis of economic reconstruction and development. After several decades of mineral extraction, SADC member States are still grappling with how the sector can contribute to the broader economy and achieve sustainable development. The sector has the potential to fulfill these national aspirations if appropriate policies are developed. In the context of the SADC, the thesis argues that since most of the population is rural-based, strategies for meaningful mineral development must take into account the concerns of these people. Policy defines a vision and aspiration, and articulates what a nation wishes to do with its mineral resources. The process of policy development is therefore crucial to ensure that the concerns of several stakeholders are considered and consensus is reached on actions to be taken for beneficial mineral extraction. The thesis shows a process of mineral policy development that result in the identification of key areas of emphasis to address concerns of the majority of the population in a country. The process has been applied in the development of mineral policies in Namibia and Malawi during this study. The outcomes address broad and specific social, economic and environmental issues that are consistent with sustainable development. Since the SADC countries have similar problems and opportunities, once all States have articulated minerals policies using this process, a regional approach or policy can be derived. This study illustrates such a policy framework.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Economics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

<p>This research paper aims to understand and analyse the CISG, its history, scope and structure, and to evaluate its impact on SADC.The main ideas that this paper will consider are: what is the CISG / &nbsp / Its history, scope and structure / &nbsp / Its impact on developing countries / &nbsp / Its relevance to developing countries within SADC / and How the implementation of the CISG improved these developing countries within SADC.</p>

<p>This essay deals with the topic of regional integration in Africa. Using the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as an example, it seeks to answer the question what constitutes a successful region organisation. To do this a number of criteria defining success were developed and subsequently applied to the SADC, the main one beeing the organisations ability to adapt to change. In order to be able to show whether and how the SADC has reacted to and accommodated changes, the analysis was built around a description of the historical evolution of the SADC(C). The changes made by the SADC (political structure, membership, goals) have been summarised and assessed. Special attention was paid to the (potential) problems identified by Winfried Lang (1982).</p><p>Guided by the thoughts of Winfried Lang and the criteria used in this essay defining what constitutes a successful regional organisation, we find that the Southern African Development Community is rather successful. The SADCC seems to have created a good basis for integration, and the organisation has proven ist ability to adapt to changes, even if they are as all-embracing as the end of the apartheid regime in the RSA and the subsequent membership of the former opponent. One can thus suppose that the SADC could, if necessary, accomodate changed circumstances again, and is thus unlikely to become one of the many failed regional organisations in Africa.</p><p> </p>

Zugl.: Bochum, Univ., Diss., 2009

<p>This research paper aims to understand and analyse the CISG, its history, scope and structure, and to evaluate its impact on SADC.The main ideas that this paper will consider are: what is the CISG / &nbsp / Its history, scope and structure / &nbsp / Its impact on developing countries / &nbsp / Its relevance to developing countries within SADC / and How the implementation of the CISG improved these developing countries within SADC.</p>

This study is concerned with the feasibility and problems associated with the timely establishment of the SADC monetary union and central bank. During this study an indepth literature review was done to analyse / establish the historical background for the establishment of the monetary union for SADC, to look at the reason for a central bank's existence and the functions performed by the central banks in the region. The study looks at the benchmark used for the establishment of this monetary union, this being the European Union. It looks at the establishment of the monetary union from a political, central banking, commercial banking and business perspective and also how these entities will be affected by the establishment. The study aims at looking at the problems that might prevent the SADC region from reaching the expected implementation date of 2016 and to make some recommendations to assist the different parties to best prepare for the successful implementation of this monetary union for SADC. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2006.

This thesis focuses on the relationship between trade and FDI in the SADC. While FDI is seen as a stimulus for growth and development, Africa is lagging behind other regions in attracting FDI. Whilst a number of reasons have been explored in the literature, the potential link between trade and FDI has not been explored in the African context. This may be potentially important, since African governments have been engaging in trade liberalisation and trade promotion over the past two decades. In this thesis, gravity modelling is used to investigate the trade-FDI relationship. Two single equation regression models are used in a preliminary investigation to evaluate aggregate trade and FDI. The third model consists of six panel regressions that evaluate the different relationships between the individual SADC countries and their individual major trading partners. A causality test is also carried out to confirm the relevance of trade as a determinant of FDI in the SADC. Overall results indicate that, in the specific case of the SADC, SADC exports significantly cause FDI. Distance from home countries and political instability are the most significant negative forces that affect FDI inflows. Home country exports deliver mixed results and these results suggest that the United States and the United Kingdom have a different FDI-trade relationship with the SADC than continental Europe, whereas Japan's exports prove insignificant. The policy implications are that the SADC will need to focus on attracting investment from countries that provide for complementary FDI and trade as this is optimal for poverty alleviation and job creation. Further research should focus on these policy areas and take into account the relevance of trade as a determinant of FDI. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Economics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

This study focussed on the transformation of the institutions of local government from deconcentration, delegation to devolution. This transformation can be looked at starting with the institutions inherited from the colonial era, which started after the Berlin Conference of 1884, which divided Africa among the western powers. Then the transformation, which took place immediately after independence / that is the period of 1960s, the changes made in the 1980s and finally the transformation taking place following the multiparty democracy in the 1990s. The study looked at decentralisation during the colonial period / decentralisation after independence, with a particular focus on the institutions under a single party system / transformation of local government under multiparty system. It also examined the challenges facing decentralisation in the SADC region.