The road transport landscape in Southern African Development Community (SADC) is shaped by a combination of the SADC Protocol on Transport, Communications and Meteorology (SADC PTCM), bilateral road transport agreements, corridor-based memoranda of understanding (MoU) and respective member states’ road transport policies, regulations and technical standards. The SADC PTCM provides the regional road transport policy and regulatory framework, framework for facilitation of cross-border road transport, institutional arrangements, infrastructure development, integration and harmonisation, amongst others.

The entry into force of the SADC Protocol on Trade in Services in January 2022 could mark the beginning of a new era regarding improving intra-regional trade in services in the road transport sector. It is expected that the Protocol on Trade in services will provide impetus towards addressing challenges limiting intra-regional services trade in the road transport sector.

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