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Trade reading list

David Luke 200x200

David Luke is professor in practice and strategic director at the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa. Specialising in African trade policy and trade negotiations, Professor Luke has decades of experience in policy advisory services, managing and catalysing research, building partnerships, training and capacity development for private sector and government. Below are his five must-read publications on trade.

Reading recommendations

WTO Reform and the Crisis of Multilateralism: A Developing Country Perspective by Faizel Ismail

Written by a former South African ambassador to the WTO, this book offers insights on power asymmetries at the WTO and makes a compelling case for development to be the core business of the world’s trade regulator.

Borderless Africa: A Sceptic's Guide to the Continental Free Trade Area by Francis Mangeni and Andrew Mold

Borderless Africa unpacks data on intra-African trade to reveal that this under-researched subject holds the clue to understanding the changing trajectory of development in Africa.

The Politics of Trade in an Era of Hyperglobalisation: A Southern Africa Perspective by Rob Davies

South Africa’s longest serving trade minister (2009-2019) reflects on the role that trade can play in transforming African economies notwithstanding challenges posed by a changing global economy.

Assessing Regional Integration in Africa

Now in its 12thedition and underpinned by the collaborative research by three pan-African organisations, the Economic Commission for Africa, the African Development Bank and the African Union, this is the best source of data and analysis of economic integration in Africa.

African Regional Integration Index

An invaluable research tool, the biennial African Regional Integration Index provides a breakdown on how each African country performs with respect to five policy areas: infrastructure development, trade integration, productive capacity, free movement of persons and macroeconomic policies. The performance of regional economic communities such as ECOWAS, EAC, SADC and COMESA are also ranked on these policy areas.