The countries of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) have relatively diverse
demographic and economic starting points. These economies have the potential realize
demographic dividends, and experience an acceleration in their income per capita growth and
poverty reduction progress through expected shifts in their age-structures. 35 to 75 percent of
poverty reduction in 2015-50 in SACU economies could be attributed to demographic shifts in a
business-as-usual scenario of economic development, if employment rates are at least
maintained. However, due to their different demographic patterns and trends, qualitatively
similar policy outcomes interact with their demographics to lead to varying growth and poverty
outcomes. The magnitude of the demographic dividends could be higher if countries are able to
achieve policy outcomes in parallel in the areas of education, savings-investment, and
employment. Scenario analyses of these different policy outcomes interacting with the shifting
age-structures in different ways, suggest quantitatively different economic impacts despite
qualitatively similar policies. Improving educational attainment is found to be most important in
Lesotho and Swaziland; mobilizing savings for higher investment can be most useful for
Botswana; and improving employment rates, especially by closing gender gaps, can be most
useful for South Africa and Namibia.