Integration among unequals: The Southern African Customs Union and Development

The Southern African Customs Union agreement has been reappraised in several recent articles. This note attempts to extend the reappraisals in four ways. They deal with: (1) the 1976 amendment to the revenue-sharing formula, (2) the use of non-tariff barriers by South Africa, (3) the effects on real income distribution, and (4) questions of broader development possibilities and policies when the Customs Union is viewed within the broader context of integration in Southern Africa. The tentative conclusion is that membership of the Customs Union is probably advantageous for Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland unless conditions in South Africa change radically.