SADC summit in Durban set to accelerate regional industrialisation

The 9th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Industrial Week concluded in Durban, South Africa, with leaders adopting a declaration to speed up industrialisation, strengthen regional value chains, and promote digital innovation and green manufacturing. The gathering underscored a shift from exporting raw commodities to building a competitive manufacturing hub.

South Africa is preparing to host the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government on 17 August in Durban. President Cyril Ramaphosa will formally assume the SADC chairmanship for the 2026/27 term. The summit’s theme – “Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Industrialisation through Infrastructure Development, Agricultural and Critical Minerals Transformation in Pursuit of a Just World” – reflects a focus on infrastructure, food security, critical minerals and regional integration. A series of technical, ministerial and political meetings, including a public lecture by Ramaphosa at the University of KwaZulu‑Natal, will precede the summit.