Enabling Environment
SADC member states are involved in numerous services negotiations at the multilateral (WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)) and regional (SADC and COMESA) levels, as well as through the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations with the EU. To make these negotiations more meaningful, it is essential that SATH engages directly with the regulators and private sector operators that are directly affected by service regulations.


The SATH Trade in Road Freight Services Workshop, held in Johannesburg, South Africa from September 27 to 28, welcomed over 30 participants from Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. The workshop enabled private sector representatives, transport officials and trade officials to engage in a dialogue on trade in services in the road freight sector in the SADC region for the first time.
In most SADC member countries, the service sector makes up approximately half of GDP and is a major contributor to employment. The service sector is also a key contributor to national competitiveness and development. Policies that tend to improve the efficiency of the service sector are thus highly significant for economic growth.