Developing an Effective Regulatory Regime for E-Commerce in the Southern African Development Community (SADC): Proposed Solutions
The outbreak of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) in 2019 has accelerated digital transformations particularly in the area of e-commerce. The imposition of public health-related lockdowns limited physical movement and increased the demand and use of e-commerce worldwide. While other businesses in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Afrikaans |
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North-West University
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://perjournal.co.za/article/view/17566 |
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| author | Vongai Chimeri Tapiwa Shumba |
| author_facet | Vongai Chimeri Tapiwa Shumba |
| author_sort | Vongai Chimeri |
| collection | DOAJ |
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The outbreak of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) in 2019 has accelerated digital transformations particularly in the area of e-commerce. The imposition of public health-related lockdowns limited physical movement and increased the demand and use of e-commerce worldwide. While other businesses in developed countries saw the outbreak of the COVID-19 as an opportunity to expand their digital markets, in Africa, particularly in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) it highlighted the need to bridge the digital divide both within and across the region, that continues to hinder greater participation in e-commerce activities. A regulatory framework that harmonises e-commerce laws to enhance legal certainty and predictability is considered important to enable the development of e-commerce. Although the SADC Model Law on Electronic Transactions and Electronic Commerce (SADC Model Law) was adopted with the aim of harmonising e-commerce laws in the SADC region, the regulation of e-commerce in the SADC remains inadequate, fragmented and in some instances outdated. This article examines the regulation of e-commerce in the SADC and concludes that it does not support the development of e-commerce in the region. It identifies some challenges that are inhibiting the development of e-commerce and offers some solutions that might help enable the development of e-commerce in the SADC.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fa7fdc27d4404299be3e0c38be96e08b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1727-3781 |
| language | Afrikaans |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | North-West University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-fa7fdc27d4404299be3e0c38be96e08b2025-08-20T03:24:44ZafrNorth-West UniversityPotchefstroom Electronic Law Journal1727-37812025-06-012810.17159/1727-3781/2025/v28i0a17566Developing an Effective Regulatory Regime for E-Commerce in the Southern African Development Community (SADC): Proposed SolutionsVongai Chimeri0https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2490-2497Tapiwa Shumba 1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7366-827XUniversity of the Free StateUniversity of Fort Hare The outbreak of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) in 2019 has accelerated digital transformations particularly in the area of e-commerce. The imposition of public health-related lockdowns limited physical movement and increased the demand and use of e-commerce worldwide. While other businesses in developed countries saw the outbreak of the COVID-19 as an opportunity to expand their digital markets, in Africa, particularly in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) it highlighted the need to bridge the digital divide both within and across the region, that continues to hinder greater participation in e-commerce activities. A regulatory framework that harmonises e-commerce laws to enhance legal certainty and predictability is considered important to enable the development of e-commerce. Although the SADC Model Law on Electronic Transactions and Electronic Commerce (SADC Model Law) was adopted with the aim of harmonising e-commerce laws in the SADC region, the regulation of e-commerce in the SADC remains inadequate, fragmented and in some instances outdated. This article examines the regulation of e-commerce in the SADC and concludes that it does not support the development of e-commerce in the region. It identifies some challenges that are inhibiting the development of e-commerce and offers some solutions that might help enable the development of e-commerce in the SADC. https://perjournal.co.za/article/view/17566E-commerceSouthern African Development CommunitySADC Model Law on Electronic Commerce and Electronic Transactionsregional integration |
| spellingShingle | Vongai Chimeri Tapiwa Shumba Developing an Effective Regulatory Regime for E-Commerce in the Southern African Development Community (SADC): Proposed Solutions Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal E-commerce Southern African Development Community SADC Model Law on Electronic Commerce and Electronic Transactions regional integration |
| title | Developing an Effective Regulatory Regime for E-Commerce in the Southern African Development Community (SADC): Proposed Solutions |
| title_full | Developing an Effective Regulatory Regime for E-Commerce in the Southern African Development Community (SADC): Proposed Solutions |
| title_fullStr | Developing an Effective Regulatory Regime for E-Commerce in the Southern African Development Community (SADC): Proposed Solutions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Developing an Effective Regulatory Regime for E-Commerce in the Southern African Development Community (SADC): Proposed Solutions |
| title_short | Developing an Effective Regulatory Regime for E-Commerce in the Southern African Development Community (SADC): Proposed Solutions |
| title_sort | developing an effective regulatory regime for e commerce in the southern african development community sadc proposed solutions |
| topic | E-commerce Southern African Development Community SADC Model Law on Electronic Commerce and Electronic Transactions regional integration |
| url | https://perjournal.co.za/article/view/17566 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vongaichimeri developinganeffectiveregulatoryregimeforecommerceinthesouthernafricandevelopmentcommunitysadcproposedsolutions AT tapiwashumba developinganeffectiveregulatoryregimeforecommerceinthesouthernafricandevelopmentcommunitysadcproposedsolutions |