Colonialism in Africa left a legacy of artificial borders, political rivalries, unbalanced economic structures, small markets and underdeveloped regional networks.

But Africa has to be united to be strong. Since the 1970s regional organisations, which form the basis of the African Union (AU), have been set up in the south, west, east, north and centre of the continent.

Founded in 1980 and given a new strategic orientation in 1992, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is one of Africa’s most developed regional organisations, covering an area of some ten million square kilometres that stretches from the Cape of Good Hope to the equator. In 2007 it numbered 14 member states:

The SADC’s declared goal is to promote stronger cooperation in the fields of business, politics, security, culture and social welfare. Its chief executive body is the regular Summit of Heads of State and Government and the Council of Ministers. The SADC Tribunal ensures that agreed commitments are observed. The future SADC Parliament will ensure the involvement of the population. The establishment of a central Secretariat with four specialist directorates in Gaborone (Botswana) has considerably strengthened institutional competence.

The driving force behind integration is the attractive prospect of a common market of 250 million people. Since the end of the Cold War, the SADC has made a considerable effort to dismantle trade and investment barriers and harmonise institutional framework conditions. International initiatives such as the EU-SADC Investment Promotion Programme (ESIPP) serve to promote entrepreneurial activities.

For the coming decade the SADC has set itself ambitious goals on the road towards regional integration: