Resilience in regional economic growth in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) can potentially be increased through the implementation of a regional policy which emphasizes regional integration. This will include the removal of tariff and non‐tariff based barriers to trade through trade liberalization and designing more efficient spatial linkages that facilitate increased intra‐regional trade. However, resilience in the region's economic growth is hindered by sluggish implementation of regional trade liberalization and spatial integration policies, as tariff and non‐tariff barriers to trade remain. The aim of the paper is to evaluate regional integration in fostering resilience in economic growth through its enhancement of economic interaction between member states, as well as facilitating increased spatial connectivity and the efficient movement of intra‐regional trade. In this paper, case studies of regional integration models as applied in eight developing country regional trading blocs, including the SADC, are used to determine the effect of intra‐regional trade on the resilience of economic growth in the face of an external economic crisis, namely the 2008 Global Financial Crisis and subsequent recession. Results of the above analysis indicate that intra‐regional trade through regional integration accelerates a region's recovery of its pre‐shock growth path. Despite considerable intra‐regional trade, the recovery of the SADC is hindered by the sluggish post‐shock growth of South Africa, its dominant economy. Based on the findings, it is recommended that intra‐regional trade be strengthened between SADC member states through increased economic integration, trade facilitation through development corridors, and capacitating dynamic regional institutions to oversee economic resilience strategies based on adjustment and adaptation.

External economic shocks such as the global financial crisis (GFC) affect regional economic growth in developing regions through impacting export demand and capital inflows. Resilience to these economic shocks—i.e., the ability to recover from the initial impact and prolonged effects of said shocks—is influenced by the inherent vulnerability of regional economies to their impact. The research objective is to investigate regional economic resilience policy in the context of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the wider perspective of trading blocs among developing countries. Central hereto is undertaking an equilibrium and econometric analysis to identify endogenous and exogenous factors of the regional economy that influence economic resilience. Analysis findings indicate that economic openness, export market dynamics and sectoral composition may influence economic resilience. SADC vulnerability may be attributed to the dependence on foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and exports to higher-income markets, relatively low import tariffs and the comparative importance of tertiary activities to output. A balanced regional policy approach is required: one focused on industrialization, while incorporating elements to support economic resilience. The latter includes increased intra-regional trade anchored in the development of regional supply and value chains which support primary sector activities, and capacitated supranational institutions to oversee regional integration initiatives.

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According to the European Regional/Spatial Planning Charter (1983), "Regional/spatial planning gives geographical expression to the economic, social, cultural and ecological policies of society. It is at the same time a scientific discipline, an administrative technique and a policy developed as an interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach directed towards a balanced regional development and the physical organisation of space according to an overall strategy". It is against this background that this study reviews past spatial planning policy and how it gave "geographical expression" to economic, social and cultural policies in South Africa This paper aims to provide a critical and objective perspective on national spatial planning since the inception of the concept in South Africa in the 1970s till the most recent directive in 2012. The paper will discuss the understanding of national planning in South Africa in terms of the economic approach and spatial implementation of each plan.It is argued in this paper that over the past three decades the national space has been left open for interpretation in terms of economic growth and development, which has led to a lack of execution of the well-intentioned spatial guiding documents from the various levels of government. It could be interpreted that spatial planning in South Africa has come full circle since the 1970`s, being once again politically driven, this time by social policy, and not economic policy. The paper proposes that national spatial planning should, once again, start to focus on giving clear guidance on how, where and when the magnitude of social and economic goals should be reached.