To facilitate the successful implementation of projects in the Southern Africa region and promote the application and internationalization of China’s standards, this study compared the asphalt pavement design systems, construction materials, design parameters, and structural design methods of both regions based on the main asphalt pavement design specifications currently in use in China and Southern Africa. The results show that among Southern African countries, South Africa has a comprehensive and widely applied standard system, while other Southern African countries adopt more varied and less theoretical standards. In contrast, China’s standard system is complete and highly practical. Due to differences in regional climates, the selection principles and mechanical requirements for construction materials differ between China and Southern Africa. There are also differences in the values and calculation methods of design parameters between the two regions. The pavement structure design methods in Southern Africa are more diverse, while China follows a predetermined process, with the main difference in the application of the comprehensive catalog method. The study summarized the main differences in standards between China and Southern Africa, providing reference to support the internationalization of Chinese standards and guide technical personnel in highway engineering projects in Southern Africa.