The Southern African Development Community (SADC), led by the Executive Secretary, His Excellency Mr. Elias M. Magosi, concluded a productive participation in the 2026 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group held from 26-29 May 2026 in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
Held under the theme “Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development,” the Annual Meetings brought together African Heads of State and Government, Ministers of Finance, Central Bank Governors, development finance institutions, private sector leaders, development partners, and regional economic communities to deliberate on strategies for accelerating Africa’s economic transformation and sustainable development.
Throughout the meetings, the SADC Executive Secretary and his delegation participated in high-level dialogues, panel discussions, and strategic engagements focused on regional integration, infrastructure development, industrialisation, trade, climate resilience, financial sector development, and innovative financing mechanisms for Africa’s development priorities.
Among the key engagements, the Executive Secretary participated in discussions on the role of institutional investors in shaping Africa’s new financial architecture, the inaugural Integrate Africa Forum, and various knowledge-sharing sessions examining sustainable infrastructure, regional connectivity, economic transformation, and the mobilisation of domestic resources to drive development across the continent.
On the margins of the meetings, the Executive Secretary held several bilateral engagements aimed at strengthening partnerships and mobilising support for regional integration and development initiatives within the SADC region.
These included meetings with the President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), H.E. Mr. Abdullah KH Almusaibeeh, during which discussions focused on infrastructure financing, industrialisation, trade promotion, and opportunities for collaboration in support of the operationalisation of the SADC Regional Development Fund (RDF).
The Executive Secretary also met with the Vice-President and Minister of Finance of the Republic of Botswana, H.E. Mr. Ndaba Gaolathe, where discussions centred on regional infrastructure development and progress towards operationalising the SADC Regional Development Fund following Botswana’s ratification of the RDF Agreement.
In addition, the Executive Secretary engaged with various development finance institutions, policy makers, investors, and regional stakeholders to explore opportunities for enhancing investment in regional infrastructure corridors, energy projects, industrial value chains, trade facilitation initiatives, and climate-resilient development programmes.
The meetings underscored the critical role of regional integration as a catalyst for economic growth, competitiveness, and sustainable development. Discussions highlighted the need to strengthen Africa’s financial systems, deepen capital markets, enhance domestic resource mobilisation, and unlock greater private sector participation in financing the continent’s development aspirations.
For SADC, the outcomes of the Annual Meetings reiterated the importance of strategic partnerships in advancing the implementation of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP 2020–2030), the Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan (RIDMP), and other regional programmes aimed at improving connectivity, boosting intra-regional trade, enhancing industrialisation, and fostering inclusive economic growth.
Reflecting on the outcomes of the meetings during an interview with SABC News, the Executive Secretary noted that Africa possesses significant opportunities to leverage its own resources, institutions, and partnerships to accelerate development and build greater resilience in an evolving global economic environment. He emphasised that regional cooperation, innovative financing solutions, and stronger collaboration between governments, regional institutions, development finance institutions, and the private sector will be critical in delivering sustainable development outcomes for African citizens.
The SADC Secretariat remains committed to working with Member States, development partners, financial institutions, and other stakeholders to advance regional integration and support the implementation of transformative projects that contribute to the attainment of the objectives of the SADC Treaty, Agenda 2063, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
