As a geographical area where national boundaries have only been fixed relatively recently, Southern Africa has historically experienced a great deal of natural movement of people between what are now separate countries. Traditional agricultural and trade flow routes do not recognise national borders, and this has been a source of tension as formal management of labour system migration has been imposed. It is within this historical context that the contemporary Pan-African agenda is played out in Southern Africa.

The AU’s Pan-African Agenda, and the integration mandates of the RECs recognise that there are a number of challenges common to many African countries which cannot be effectively dealt with by individual nations but instead require countries to work together towards regional solutions. Some of these require a regional approach due to the transboundary nature of the problem or the benefits to all countries of working together.