The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat and the German Embassy in Botswana convened a Technical Meeting at the SADC Headquarters in Gaborone on 24th September 2025. Co-chaired by Ms Angele Makombo N’tumba, SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration (DES-RI), and Mrs Simone Gortz, Head of Economic Cooperation at the German Embassy, the meeting served as a strategic platform to advance the SADC-German partnership and firm up preparations for the upcoming Bilateral Negotiations on Development Cooperation, scheduled for November 2025.
Building on the outcomes of consultations held on 3 April 2025, the meeting focused on refining the structure and priorities of the forthcoming negotiations. It also reviewed the status of previously agreed actions, reaffirming both parties’ commitment to regional integration, sustainable development, and inclusive economic growth.
A key item on the agenda was the operationalisation of the €36.4 million commitment made during the 2023 Berlin negotiations. To date, five Implementation Agreements totalling €15.4 million have been finalised. The remaining €21 million is earmarked for strategic programmes including Transboundary Water Management, the Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) Facility, and the KAZA TFCA. Priority areas for the 2025 negotiation cycle include the Cooperation for the Enhancement of SADC Regional Economic Integration (CESARE) Programme, Climate Resilience and Natural Resources Management (CNRM), Strengthening National-Regional Linkages (SNRL), and the Studies and Expert Fund.
Programme highlights presented during the meeting showcased the following progress.
The CESARE Programme’s third phase, backed by €5.4 million and additional EU support, is driving forward trade in services, regulatory harmonisation, and regional connectivity.
The Quality Infrastructure project, with €1.5 million allocated in 2023, has delivered capacity-building workshops and advanced regional standards development.
The Transboundary Water Management programme, which received €4 million in 2025, is accelerating implementation and stakeholder engagement.
Meanwhile, the TFCA Facility secured €24 million through new agreements, supporting ranger training, conservation efforts, and cross-sector collaboration.
During the meeting, the Secretariat also provided an update on the Mid-Term Review of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020–2030. The final report will be presented to the SADC Council in March 2026 and will offer a comprehensive assessment of progress and inform future implementation strategies.
Further discussions addressed the operationalisation of the SADC Regional Development Fund (RDF), a long-envisioned financing mechanism designed to address funding gaps for regional development projects. The RDF aims to mobilise resources from Member States, development partners, and the private sector to support initiatives that foster economic cooperation and deepen regional integration, particularly during early project development stages.
In the area of communication and visibility, the Secretariat informed the Embassy that the SADC Council of Ministers approved the SADC Communication, Awareness, and Visibility Strategy (2025–2030) in August. The strategy aims to enhance stakeholder engagement, celebrate regional achievements, and improve public outreach. The Secretariat appealed for Germany’s technical and financial support to implement selected activities under the strategy.
The Technical Meeting reaffirmed the enduring partnership between SADC and the German Government. Both parties expressed their commitment to deepening cooperation through strategic investments and collaborative programming, laying the groundwork for impactful negotiations and transformative regional development in the months ahead.
