Poverty in southern Africa: A literature review and analysis

Abstract

Documentary sources, garnered from various academic, research and related institutions in South Africa and at the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Secretariat offices in Gaborone, Botswana. In addition, the author also used electronic/web-based information as well as information derived from direct conversational interviews with development actors of diverse backgrounds. The paper describes and classifies several earlier studies done on the subject of poverty in the SADC, essentially reviewing each author’s main/core contributions and to what extent their findings illuminate our understanding of the subject-matter of poverty in SADC and its variegated nature. The review outlines at least fourteen critical causes and reinforcers of poverty and vulnerability in SADC, and concludes by highlighting a few issues and conditions considered as sine qua non to ‘making poverty history’ in SADC.

KEYWORDS: SADC, poverty, government, research, reinforcers, causes, multi-party, studies