President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken over as chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), calling for faster regional integration, stronger trade and industrialisation as the bloc seeks to turn its commitments into tangible improvements for its people.
Here are five key developments from Monday’s 46th SADC Summit in Durban.
1. Ramaphosa takes over the SADC chairpersonship
Ramaphosa formally accepted South Africa’s responsibility as chairperson of SADC, saying the country would work with all member states to advance the implementation of SADC Vision 2050.
He said South Africa would focus on deepening regional integration, strengthening value chains and expanding intra-African trade.
“We must deepen regional integration so that goods, services, capital, skills can move more efficiently across our borders,” Ramaphosa said.
He also said young people, women and entrepreneurs would be placed at the centre of the region’s economic transformation.
2. SADC wants to move beyond exporting raw minerals
SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi called for the region to stop exporting its critical minerals in raw form and instead develop industries that add value and create jobs.
“The challenge is when do we stop exporting them in raw form and start adding value to them and creating sustainable jobs and wealth. Once more, we do not need permission from anyone to start this process. Let us start now!” Magosi said.
He said SADC had abundant reserves of critical minerals, including platinum group metals, lithium, cobalt, graphite, manganese, rare earth elements and copper.
3. Ramaphosa warns regional integration is too slow
Ramaphosa said the pace of regional transformation remained too slow, noting that intra-SADC trade accounted for only around one-fifth of the region’s total trade.
He said countries in the region continued to import goods they could produce themselves and export raw materials that could be processed within SADC.
“We continue to export raw materials that we could process and beneficiate ourselves,” Ramaphosa said.
He said the region had the natural resources, agricultural potential, skills and capabilities needed to drive its own development.
4. Peace and security remain a priority
Regional peace and security remained central to the summit, with political and security developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar and Mozambique considered by the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation Troika.
Magosi said the situation in the eastern DRC remained a concern and welcomed progress through diplomatic engagement and African-led peace initiatives.
“SADC remains steadfast in its solidarity with the Government and people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and reaffirms its commitment to supporting efforts to restore peace, protect civilians, and create conditions conducive to sustainable development,” he said.
5. SADC leaders want commitments turned into action
Ramaphosa said the region needed to ensure that decisions taken by SADC translated into tangible improvements for its people.
He called for greater investment in infrastructure, energy, water, digital connectivity and climate-resilient food systems, while urging countries to make better use of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
“Our communiqués must become construction sites, factories, power lines, water systems, laboratories, businesses and jobs,” Ramaphosa said.
He said regional integration needed to be “seen and felt in the daily lives of our people”.
For Ramaphosa, the new chairpersonship should ultimately help build a more integrated, industrialised and resilient Southern Africa.
“Let us turn our borders into bridges. Let us turn our resources into industries. Let us turn our youthful population into a powerful demographic dividend. Let us turn our solidarity into shared prosperity,” he said.
