The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have concluded a strategic engagement mission in Gaborone, Botswana, aimed at accelerating regional integration, industrialisation, and sustainable financing across Southern Africa.

The two-day talks brought together SADC leadership and an AfDB delegation led by Dr Kennedy Mbekeani, Director General of the Bank’s Southern Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office. Discussions focused on aligning development priorities under the Revised SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020–2030.

Closing the engagement, SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi emphasized the critical need to transform the region’s vast natural resources into inclusive economic growth through manufacturing, value addition, and competitive regional value chains. Magosi welcomed the AfDB’s expanded role in mobilizing capital via concessional financing, blended finance instruments, guarantees, and project preparation support. He also highlighted support for operationalizing the SADC Regional Development Fund (RDF) and reviving the Annual Consultative Forum between SADC Finance Ministers and the AfDB President.

Mbekeani reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to backing the region’s strategic infrastructure, energy, trade facilitation, and industrial initiatives. The partnership underpins several major regional portfolios, including the $9.2 million PROFISHBLUE Project supporting fisheries governance, the $6.3 million SADC Trade and Transit Facilitation Programme along the North-South Corridor, the $9.8 million RHeSEP health security project, and macroeconomic convergence initiatives.

–ChannelAfrica/SADC–