The SADC Secretariat in partnership with the government of the Republic of Zimbabwe, the SADC Business Council and the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), hosted the 7th Annual SADC Industrialisation Week (SIW) from 28th July to 2nd August 2024 in Harare, Republic of Zimbabwe. The event was held at the Harare International Conference Centre, under the theme "Promoting Innovation to Unlock Opportunities for Sustainable Economic Growth and Development Towards an Industrialised SADC."
The SADC Industrialisation Week is the largest public-private platform and consultative body for industrialisation in the SADC region. It provides a platform on annual basis for SADC Member States, the private sector, international partners, policymakers, researchers, SMEs, financial institutions, and civil society to share experiences on driving industrialisation and economic transformation in the region.
The week-long event featured seminars, meetings, workshops, a gala dinner, exhibitions, and site visits to some selected manufacturing facilities and industrial hubs in Zimbabwe. The key focus areas include mineral beneficiation, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure development, women and youth entrepreneurship, and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) enterprises.
This annual event aims to intensify multi-stakeholder engagement in implementing the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap 2015-2063 with a key focus on reviewing progress and challenges in executing the SADC Industrialisation Strategy, as well as sharing success stories and solutions for developing robust regional value chains across priority sectors within the SADC Region.
