SOUTH AFRICA: SADC Services Trade Protocol in Effect

Trade in services within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is expected to see a boost after the SADC Protocol on Trade in Services entered into force on 13 January 2022. According to a 27 January 2022 SADC announcement, the activation came after 11 out of 16 member countries deposited instruments of ratification. The ratifying countries are Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, while Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Tanzania and the Union of Comoros are yet to ratify. 

The Protocol will pave the way for an agreement coving all tradable services, including finance, health, tourism, transport, communication, construction, distribution, energy, social, environmental, business, recreational, cultural and sporting. The Protocol gradually eliminates unnecessary or overly restrictive regulations hindering cross-border services trade. It will also improve market integration by ensuring that member states grant each other preferential access and fair treatment of foreign and domestic suppliers. The Protocol also requires that member states not impose restrictive or discriminatory conditions for particular services and suppliers.