An Evaluation of the SADC Free Trade Area: A Case Study of Zimbabwe’s Integration Efforts

The study sought to understand why Zimbabwe’s trade balance continued to plummet from 2009 to 2016, despite engaging in regional trade through the Southern African Development Community Free Trade Area (SADC FTA). It uses documentary evidence, ITC database uniting ZIMSTATS statistics and calculations based on UN COMTRADE statistics and expert interviews to establish the status of policy arrangements and the country’s level of intra-SADC trade in its leading exports. The study established that the country had not commissioned comprehensive comparative advantage studies in decades and instead relied on historical data and competences; there were no clear, purposive and targeted sectors for export; and that there was no proper coordination between key ministries leading to policy implementation paralysis. The introduction of Statutory Instrument 64 of 2016 (SI64/16) was clear testimony that the country was not ready for regional trade integration and that the country did not have adequate industrial capacity to increase production. The study recommended the establishment of an economic commission to oversee regional trade, evaluation of the country’s comparative advantage and establishment of think tanks in government ministries.