The Southern African Development Community (SADC), in partnership with the European Union (EU), will host the Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access (ATCMA) Project Stakeholder Engagement Workshop in Gaborone, Botswana from November 12 to 13 ,2025.
The €25 million ( $28.9 million) EU-funded initiative aims to boost trade competitiveness, strengthen regional quality infrastructure, and enhance intra-African as well as Africa–EU trade. The programme is jointly implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the International Trade Centre (ITC).
The two-day workshop will bring together representatives from the SADC Secretariat, the EU Delegation to Botswana, the SADC Business Council, and technical teams from UNIDO and ITC, alongside public and private sector stakeholders. Discussions will focus on presenting the programme framework, gathering input to guide the selection of priority value chains, and identifying potential synergies with existing initiatives.
The ATCMA Programme is a flagship EU initiative aimed at promoting sustainable and inclusive value chain development across Africa, aligning with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the EU Global Gateway, and the European Green Deal. Its interventions cover six regional components, including SADC, to ensure coherence while adapting to local contexts.
For Southern Africa, the ATCMA project seeks to identify priority value chains that can stimulate industrialisation, enhance regional trade, and foster mutually beneficial partnerships with the EU. With its rich natural resources, the region has significant potential in agro-processing, natural-resource-based industries, and emerging manufacturing sectors such as pharmaceuticals and vehicle production.
The programme underlines the joint commitment of SADC, the EU, and the United Nations to drive regional integration, inclusive industrialisation, and sustainable economic development. It also supports the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap (2015–2063) and contributes to broader continental initiatives such as the AfCFTA, AU Agenda 2063, and the Sustainable Development Goals.
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