ABSTRACT
Regional development policy may be regarded as a growing body of literature in the discourse on inter-jurisdictional governance in the global era. At the subnational level, there is growing interest regarding how the nuances of the nation-state shape policy choices by regions. This notwithstanding, subnational regional development policy in an African context appears to be a largely emergent area of scholarship. This chapter seeks to address the noted dearth by articulating the dynamics of subnational regional development policy with the aim of unpacking its ramifications for the wider Southern African Development Community (SADC). Based on a case study of Namibia, it seeks to address the following specific questions: How has subnational regional development evolved over time and what factors account for this evolution? What are the defining elements of subnational regional development policy? What are the broader lessons offered by subnational regional policy for SADC? The study broadly conceptualises subnational regional development policy in terms of scalar, spatial and sectoral policies. These are subdivided into specific elements namely: integrated regional land use planning; regional cooperation and networks; political rescaling; multilevel governance; urban-rural linkages; global-local synergies; inter- and intra-regional planning approaches; agricultural development and natural resource management; industrialisation; and promotion of the service sector. The analysis argues that subnational regional development policy serves as the building block for supranational regionalism within the lens of SADC. The research thus contributes to the existing literature by articulating the ramifications of subnational regionalism for supranational regional integration in developing countries.
