How successful have Southern African states been in dealing with the major issues that have faced the region in recent years? What could be done to produce more cohesive and effective region-building in Southern Africa? In this original and wide-ranging volume, which draws on an interdisciplinary team of mainly African and African-based specialists, the key political, socio-economic, and security challenges facing Southern Africa today are addressed. These include the various issues confronting the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and its institutions; as well as human security challenges, including HIV/AIDS, food security, and climate change; and the role of the main external actors involved with the region, including the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the United States (US), and China. The book also looks at the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and Southern African Development Finance Institutions, including the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), and issues of gender and peacebuilding. In doing so, the book goes to the heart of analyzing the effectiveness of SADC, SACU, and the DBSA, suggesting how region-building in Southern Africa may be compared with similar attempts at region-building elsewhere in Africa and in other parts of the world.