Southern African leaders opened the 46th Ordinary Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Durban on Monday, with calls for deeper regional integration, industrialisation and stronger cooperation to boost economic growth across the 16-member bloc.
In his address at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the region must accelerate efforts to transform its abundant natural resources, youthful population and growing industrial capacity into shared prosperity for more than 400 million people.
Ramaphosa said the summit comes at a significant moment for the region, coinciding with the 34th anniversary of the signing of the SADC Treaty in Windhoek and reflecting on decades of regional cooperation and solidarity. He paid tribute to outgoing SADC Chairperson and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa for his leadership and stewardship of the bloc.
The South African leader said SADC had made notable progress through initiatives such as the SADC Free Trade Area, regional payment systems and the Southern African Power Pool, but warned that economic transformation remained too slow.
“Intra-regional trade still accounts for only around one-fifth of the region’s total trade despite decades of integration efforts,” he noted.
In the same vein, he urged member states to deepen industrialisation, develop regional value chains and process more of the region’s minerals and agricultural commodities locally instead of exporting raw materials. “Greater investment in transport, energy, water and digital infrastructure would also be critical to strengthening competitiveness and unlocking economic opportunities,” Ramaphosa said.
The president further called for stronger regional cooperation to build climate-resilient food systems and fully leverage opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area, which offers access to a market of more than 1.4 billion people. He said reducing non-tariff barriers and improving cross-border trade would be essential to achieving those goals.
Regional security and public health also featured prominently in the opening address. Ramaphosa expressed solidarity with the Democratic Republic of the Congo over the ongoing Ebola outbreak, urging governments to strengthen surveillance, laboratory capacity and emergency preparedness while ensuring humanitarian access to affected areas.
Earlier, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola highlighted Durban’s historic role in regional liberation struggles and African unity, describing the city as a symbol of the shared history linking Southern African nations.
Security officials said extensive measures had been put in place to ensure the summit proceeds without disruption. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said authorities had deployed sufficient personnel and operational resources to guarantee the safety of heads of state, delegates and participants attending the regional gathering.
The summit is expected to focus on advancing SADC Vision 2050, regional economic integration, infrastructure development, energy security, trade and peacebuilding efforts across Southern Africa.
