1. Intraregionalism has become one of the most visible aspects of African politics (). To a certain extent, African countries have integrated the realization of multilaterally beneficial regionalism and with this purpose; they have oriented their policies and laws to correspond to the objectives and policies of the different regional organizations, coalitions and alliances to which they have joined, signed or subscribed (). It has been argued that regional integration is the most appropriate way to achieve this and improve Africa's capacity to manage the diverse challenges it faces, in particular underdevelopment, extreme poverty and marginalization in a world where globalism is evidence of development () . However, the questions that emerge in this essay will be to critically determine what regionalism represents, what determines the weakness of African states. This analysis will further question whether regionalism and regional integration in the form of SADC provide an adequate and effective solution to challenges emerging within African politics, provided they emerge from ideologies such as continental solidarity that embody the spirit of Pan-Africanism , while at the same time taking into account the fact that strong divergence persists between SADC states.2. Definition of regionalism and difference with regionalization We can talk about regionalism when different countries come together with a sense of identity, common and shared goals and objectives (Hurell, 1996: 37-38). To emphasize the importance of these elements, they create institutions and organizations that demonstrate this particular identity and collective interest within a geographical and regional scheme or framework (Hurell, 1996: 40). For the last......half of the paper......eve economic effort. The emphasis is mainly on sectors such as water and hydroelectric energy (). These initiatives have led to the belief that a free trade protocol (FTP), by eliminating trade barriers, would facilitate access to individual markets by other states (). The aforementioned protocol was signed in Maseru (Lesotho), in August 1996 and provided for the creation of a free trade area by 2004, thus eliminating tariff barriers and facilitating the emergence of a multilateral trade partnership, with the objective of creating a fully integrated regional area (SADC) market (). However, due to the lack of clarity on the regulations, the protocol proved inefficient and one problem became clear to all: countries like South Africa preferred to either establish a regional multilateral or renegotiate and agree bilateral agreements that fit its policies. with individual states ().