The history of standard, trade preference‐centred economic cooperation groupings in Africa has not been particularly encouraging. The attempts to create a Southern Africa Development Coordination dynamic are notably different. First, the primary goal is to reduce dependence on South Africa through joint action by the independent states. Second, the primary sector for action is transport and communications, not trade. Third, while trade is envisaged as a field for coordination it is neither seen as central nor as focused on general free trade. The opening Front Line States SADC Conference at Arusha may or may not lead to early action; it does represent a serious re‐thinking of economic cooperation strategy.