Economic Community

This is an exploratory paper aimed at analyzing some of the many environmental and organizational influences that impact the competitiveness of business enterprises within the Southern African Development Community'. Specifically, we present results from a survey of managers in small, medium and large organizations within three member nations of SADC, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The results of the surveys are presented in the context of existing dynamics and forces of emerging markets in general and of the Southern African business environment in particular. We then attempt to develop a framework through which this data and future research efforts can be considered in an effort to better understand the competitive issues, threats and opportunities facing public and private organizations in this region of the world. The data will be considered from the following perspectives: macroeconomic policies, the role of the public sector, the evolution of private enterprise in the region and the globalization of the world marketplace. The survey results reflect feedback from managers in ninety-three business enterprises located in Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, obtained during the summer of 1997 by members of the African Business Development Corps . We interviewed managers from both multinational organizations as well as indigenous companies within these three countries. Additional data for this paper was gathered through a review of the literature on emerging market enterprises as well as from our involvement with public and private businesses throughout sub-Saharan Africa over the last four years.