A COMMON MARKET FOR POST-APARTHEID SOUTHERN AFRICA: PROSPECTS AND PROBLEMS

Abstract

ABSTRACT The abolition of statutory apartheid, and Pretoria's commitment to negotiate a constitutional future, have helped restore South Africa's acceptability as a partner for economic co-operation. South Africa's policy of destabilizing the countries of southern Africa has been abandoned, and the scene looks set for co-operation and co-ordination to replace conflict and confrontation. Whilst there is broad agreement on the desirability of co-operation, regional economic integration covers a multitude of complex agreements ranging from preferential trade areas to political-economic unions. The paper examines the relevance of traditional economic integration theory or customs union theory to southern Africa. After exploring the theoretical and practical limitations of traditional integration theory, the paper examines how the three most important regional groupings within southern Africa relate to this theory, and how they may adapt to the post-apartheid situation.