Southern Africa: President Pledges to Drive Deeper Economic Integration As South Africa Takes SADC Chair
He said the region must turn minerals into locally processed goods and create jobs as leaders open the 46th SADC Summit.
- On Monday, August 17, 2026, President Cyril Ramaphosa opened the 46th Ordinary Summit of the Southern African Development Community in Durban, KZN, urging leaders to accelerate economic integration and deliver the "dividend of economic liberation."
- This summit coincides with the 24-year anniversaries of the SADC Treaty and the African Union launch in Durban; Ramaphosa noted the region must give economic and social meaning to political liberation forged against colonialism and apartheid.
- Turning to economic transformation, Ramaphosa stressed the need to deepen industrialisation and build regional value chains, highlighting the SADC Free Trade Area, the Real-Time Gross Settlement System, and the Southern African Power Pool.
- Warning that development without peace is impossible, Ramaphosa emphasized collective action on stability; he commended regional cooperation during the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Closing the session, the President urged leaders to move beyond declarations to tangible progress, declaring the region must "turn borders into bridges" and resources into industries across Southern Africa.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Southern Africa: President Pledges to Drive Deeper Economic Integration As South Africa Takes SADC Chair
[SAnews.gov.za] President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged to use South Africa's chairship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to deepen regional economic integration and advance resilient, sustainable and inclusive industrialisation.
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SADC leaders urged to turn agreements into results
This article was originally published on Malawi24">Malawi24, Malawi's #1 independent news platform. Southern African leaders are facing pressure to ensure regional agreements deliver tangible benefits to citizens. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for faster implementation of decisions adopted by the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Speaking at the conclusion of the bloc’s 46th Ordinary Summit in Durban on Monday,…
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