ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the finances of the Southern African Development Community. In order to understand the financial culture of this regional organisation, the impact of the budget rules and types and calculation of financial contributions are analysed. In addition, the main revenues and expenditure are examined. The analysis shows that precarious funding, issues of disbursement and donor dependence reflect tensions between the integration ambitions of the SADC Secretariat on one side and uncommitted national members on the other side. The analysis also reveals that although South Africa is the leading country in the region, it does not practice financial hegemony in SADC. Regarding the evolution of the budget, this chapter identifies three defining trends: changes in membership and individual commitment, donor dependence and expansion into new policy fields. The chapter concludes by discussing the two main financial challenges of SADC: decreasing donor support and efforts to achieve budget autonomy.
