The stable atmospheric conditions associated with STACs inhibit the dispersion of aerosols and increases the resident times to days or tens of days (Tyson et al., 1996). The net result of biomass burning, which includes the dust from soil deflation arising from the loss of protective vegetative cover, is the formation of a haze layer which persists over tropical southern Africa throughout the dry season. This phenomenon is unique to southern Africa in terms of its spatial extent and persistence and can produce significant effects on atmospheric chemistry and aerosol optical properties, both of which influence atmospheric radiative processes (Douguedroit and Bart, 1997; Eck et al., 2001).