This study investigates the existence and volume of informal cross-border trade (ICBT) in the mainland SADC member states. The four basic research questions for the study were as follows: Is there informal cross-border trade among the mainland SADC member states? Do the informal traders (ICBTs) contribute to the SADC national economies and to the economies of the region as a whole, and is this revenue acknowledged by the SADC nation governments? Does the ICBT facilitate the new mission of SADC: the promotion of social, economic and political integration in the Southern African region? Lastly and perhaps most importantly have the SADC member states or SADC as an organisation formally put in place trade policies and regulations that promote the development of ICBT in the region? The study further explores the extent to which the cross-border ethnic relationships of ICBTs assist and facilitate the activities of the informal cross-border micro-trade. These questions are investigated...