TECHNICAL REPORTS

This manual addresses the market potential and development strategies for renewable energy technologies (RETs) in the SADC region. It is primarily aimed at commissioners and board members of the regional energy regulatory agencies. Such agencies across the SADC region constitute an important component of their national policy and institutional frameworks for promoting sustainable and environmentally safe energy supply. Energy regulators play a key role in national and regional efforts to promote clean energy for sustainable development. Their work is crucial for ensuring a transparent and predictable energy regulatory framework that is essential for attracting private sector investment while safeguarding consumer interests.

Services are essential inputs into the production of goods and other services. Distorted services markets are tantamount to a tax on the overall economy as the effects of expensive and inefficient services are multiplied in the production of other goods and services. This is especially true for infrastructural services such as road freight services which represent the main arteries through which producers obtain their inputs and deliver their products to end users.

Ninety eight delegates representing 55 companies from 15 countries attended the 7th Business to Business (B2B) Event in Cape Town, South Africa, in June 2011.

Four hundred and sixty pre-arranged half hour, one on one meeting were held over two days, resulting in US$1.5 to 2.0 million in sourcing and sales deals to date by the manufacturing sector alone. As the vast majority of retailers indicated it was too early to determine the final sourcing outcome, the value of deals will undoubtedly increase considerably.

The consensus from the delegates was that it was a well-run and focused regional trade and export driven event, but that the number of companies attending should be increased and incorporates additional countries on the African continent.

This report provides an overview of the cotton to apparel value chain of the member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The report does not represent primary research but is the result of desk research drawing on a wide range of sources as well as the observations and experience of the authors.