Which policy blockers stand between African countries and joint investment, and how far has each fix got?
Roadmaps of the reforms, rules and projects that cross-border investment waits on, the institutions that must act, and the status of each step in law, rules, delivery and funding. Every statement links to its source.
What the records show
Each finding links to the blocker it summarises, where the evidence is quoted.
- In the Southern African Power Pool's market reports from November 2025 to August 2026, between about a quarter and nearly three-quarters of the energy matched in the months read went untraded for lack of transmission, depending on the month and the measure; the April to June 2026 reports place the bottleneck at the Zimbabwe–Zambia interconnectors. Regional power trade
- Namibia has barred new generation licences for export since March 2024; in September 2025 the ban was renewed to January 2029, or until transmission constraints ease, citing limited interconnector capacity in South Africa (press reports of the regulator's statement). Regional power trade
- Trucks took an average of 46 hours to cross Beitbridge in the week of 20 to 26 July 2026, by a trade-press report of the weekly corridor figures; South Africa's border agency placed the cause on the Zimbabwean side. Transport corridors and border posts
Priority policy areas
Deep: records and statuses. Scoped: the question, no claims yet. Planned: named only.
Cross-border payments and currency
What stops a firm in one African country paying, being paid, or repatriating earnings in another, and how far have regional payment systems and foreign-exchange rules moved?
Regional power trade
Which physical, commercial and regulatory constraints limit electricity trade and co-investment through Southern African interconnectors, and which decisions would relieve them?
Transport corridors and border posts
Which rules and facilities at the main Southern African corridors and border posts slow goods, and which reforms are underway?
Investment protection and harmonisation
How far do national investment laws, treaties and dispute settlement line up with continental investment rules, and where do they conflict?
Capital markets and long-term savings
What stops pension funds and investors in one country holding infrastructure and securities in another?
Critical minerals value chains
What policy steps would let neighbouring countries co-invest in processing rather than exporting ore?
What moved
Last full update cycle: 16 October 2026. Records were last checked on 26 Oct 2026.
- South Africa Rules track: Still Consulted, with the status date unchanged at 26 August 2026.
- SAPP July and September 2026 market reports are still not published.
- ZiZaBoNa A press report says construction is "scheduled to begin in 2026", naming no source; it is added as a target.
- Zambia No adoption of the seven operational documents was found in ERB news to 30 September 2026.
How to read a status
Each idea has four tracks: legal, rules, delivery and funding. The date is the latest milestone the status rests on, not today.