Cross-border Languages in Southern African Economic and Political Integration

Although the subject of southern African regional integration has attracted the most attention from a political, economic and trade perspective, it has remained least understood or researched sociolinguistically. This article deals with the questions about the role of the state and local community agency in the formation and legitimation of identities. It provides a counter-narrative on the subject of cross-border languages and their intersection with cross-border activities in contemporary southern Africa. Various ways by which southern African cross-border languages can be positively deployed to enhance regional economic, political and cultural integration are discussed and illustrated. The main argument is that the recognition and mainstreaming of cross-border languages promises to provide a foundation for a regional integration framework that accommodates all stakeholders including people involved in informal cross-border activities. In conclusion the article posits that the incidence of multiple cross-border languages in southern Africa is another form of bonding and bridging social capital relevant to the realisation of an inclusive and broad-based regional integration project.