There is heightened concern about the need to provide effective special education services around the world. There is also evidence showing that most countries have either legislation already in place or are currently designing legislation to govern the provision of education services and protect the rights of children and families challenged by disabilities. However, despite this positive development, most developing countries face innumerable challenges in their quest to provide effective special education services to their populace. This paper identifies some of the challenges and threats that countries in Southern Africa face in their endeavor to meet the educational needs of their children and families who are challenged by disabilities and provides recommendations on how to mitigate some of the factors in order to enhance development of special education services in this region. (Contains 3 tables.)