Report

Services trade in Southern Africa a literature survey and overview

“While all services sectors are important, and deserve attention, this report focuses on core infrastructure services because they create an enabling environment in which other services develop and/or thrive. The tourism sector has been added because it is a significant foreign exchange earner for most SADC countries. Lastly, the movement of people involved in service provision in the
region is investigated because this is a cross-cutting issue that has a significant effect on the efficiency or otherwise of the four core infrastructure services sectors
as well as the tourism industry. The report briefly unpacks services trade liberalisation, and relates this to
GATS. It then examines regional reforms in each of the six areas identified above
– that is, reforms resulting from regional co-operation initiatives – as well as
remaining constraints, and how they could be addressed. The final section recaptures the main findings.