The joint management of shared water resources in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is contributing to regional integration, socio-economic development, poverty alleviation and the protection of vital ecosystems. The SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourses is an instrument of international water law that entered into force in 2003. The overall objective of the Protocol is to foster closer cooperation between the SADC states for the coordinated management, protection and utilization of shared watercourses through the establishment of river basin organizations. Therefore, it is playing a pivotal role in guiding the establishment of institutional structures capable of jointly managing the scarce water resources in Southern Africa. The Orange River is one of the international watercourse systems in the SADC and of strategic importance to South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia and Botswana, making it an excellent case study in the evolution of joint river management and international water law.