Paper short abstract:

The current economic challenges facing African countries call for a strategic need to search for effective models of integration that can cushion them from the adverse effects of international economic downturn and shrinking financial resources

Paper long abstract:

With the inevitable effects of global economic crisis, the significance for economic self-reliance of African countries has become vital. This is more crucial given the fact that majority of them are dependent on donor funds. The current economic challenges facing African countries call for a strategic need to search for effective models of integration that can cushion them from the adverse effects of international economic downturn and shrinking financial resources. For Southern African Development Community various models have been tried and these seem to have had little economic benefits as they are largely based on political stability rather than economic growth and development of the region. The critical question that has arisen is: which models of integration Southern African countries, should adopt at these times of economic hardships? In trying to answer this question, authors investigated two models, which have been adopted in the SADC region i.e Southern African Customs Union and Standardisation.