On 16 October 2013 the World Customs Organisation (WCO) informed that the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) was preparing for launch of regional the Preferred Trader scheme. SACU - consisting of Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland - collaborates with the WCO in a trade facilitation initiative funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The initiative, in which the SACU Secretariat also participates, aims among others at developing a regional Preferred Trader (PT) scheme. From 30 September 2013 to 04 October 2013 a core team consisting of national project managers, audit experts, PT-experts and site managers met in Windhoek, Namibia, with WCO experts to further prepare for the launch of the PT-scheme by developing regional processes to be applied related to the benefits selected and designed for the SACU regional PT. The selected pilot operators have been engaged, and in the near future also the relevant cross border regulatory agencies and Customs officials at the selected border posts will be sensitised on the regional PT-scheme. During the intense working week, all participants actively contributed to the preparations for the launch of the PT-scheme, planned for the first half of 2014.