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Botswana - Lesotho -
Malawi - Mozambique - Namibia - ILO/SAMAT covers nine countries in the Southern Africa sub-region namely Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. These countries are not only linked geographically, they also have close historical, cultural, political and economic ties. A demonstration of this interdependence is the creation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) which aims at the integration of national economies and has become an important institution in shaping the future of the sub-region. Africa’s acid test will be measured by how best she is able to implement the New Partnership for African Development Action Plan as well as achieve the objectives of the newly established African Union. However, it should be noted that the Southern African sub-region is characterized by great diversity in levels of development and economic structures. It comprises some of the poorest countries in the world, as well as others whose per capita incomes are 10 to 20 times higher. The economic colossus South Africa is of course the major economic power of the sub-region, and other countries like Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia which are far poorer and have completely different structures and needs are very dependent on their relationship with South Africa. Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and Swaziland may all be similar in their small populations but there is much that distinguishes them from one another. Zimbabwe finally, faces increasing difficulties in maintaining its special position among the countries of the sub-region. Political Situation During the past decade, most countries of Southern Africa have undergone fundamental changes in their economic and political spheres. These changes have come about in part as a result of the pressures exerted by the ongoing democratization and economic reform processes world-wide. The dismantling of apartheid in South Africa and its replacement in 1994 by a multiparty, multiracial democracy was the major political reform of this decade in the sub-region and beyond. In Malawi and Zambia, authoritarian one party regimes gave way to multiparty democracies in the early 1990s. In Mozambique, 17 years of civil war ended in 1994, ushering in a democratic era. Zimbabwe abandoned plans to introduce a one party State officially and opted for more democratic structures about a decade ago. Botswana and Namibia have enjoyed political stability since their independence in 1966 and 1990 respectively. The Kingdoms of Lesotho and Swaziland have also been caught up in the process of political reform. Problems facing the sub-region The Southern Africa sub-region faces a number of common problems, most significantly the twin problems of high unemployment and pervasive poverty that have continued to constitute development challenges in these countries. These problems have now been compounded by the negative impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, where an estimated 20-30 per cent of the working population in all nine countries are HIV positive. For more detailed information on the nine countries and what ILO is doing to address these problems please click below. Botswana -
Lesotho - Malawi
- Mozambique - Namibia
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