International Relations and Co-operation Minister Ronald Lamola says South Africa will push to increase trade between SADC member states to 50% and ensure the region benefits from its critical-mineral wealth during its 2026–2027 leadership.
Lamola was speaking in Durban on Wednesday as South Africa formally accepted the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Chairpersonship at the Council of Ministers meeting.
He said South Africa’s priorities would include peace, security and stability, accelerating industrialisation, expanding regional trade, developing infrastructure and strengthening social and human capital.
South Africa targets greater regional trade
Lamola said South Africa would focus on agricultural transformation, critical-minerals beneficiation, increased regional trade and the development of regional value chains.
The SADC region holds nearly 30% of the world’s proven critical-mineral reserves, including approximately 50% of global cobalt reserves and 20% of graphite reserves, he said.
However, Lamola said the region needed to ensure its mineral wealth translated into economic and social development rather than continuing a pattern in which its resources benefited economies outside the region.
“Reversing this pattern requires us to beneficiate our resources, build regional value chains and trade more with one another,” Lamola said.
Trade between SADC countries currently stands at about 20%, which Lamola said was too low given the potential within the region.
He said the African Export-Import Bank estimated in 2018 that the untapped potential of intra-Africa trade stood at US$84 billion, with the SADC region accounting for US$53 billion.
“During our tenure, we will ensure the implementation of our Skukuza retreat objectives to achieve 50 percent intra-SADC trade and harnessing of critical minerals for beneficiation at source,” Lamola said.
Infrastructure and jobs top SADC agenda
Lamola said infrastructure development would also be a priority, with South Africa seeking to expand and modernise systems connecting countries across the region.
This includes reliable energy, efficient transport corridors, modern ports, integrated digital networks and dependable water systems.
“Without these foundations, regional manufacturing cannot expand,” Lamola said.
He said manufacturing accounted for only 10% of GDP and could not generate employment on the scale required by the region.
Lamola said social and human capital development would also form part of South Africa’s agenda, particularly given Africa’s young population.
The median age across Africa is 19, while nearly 60% of the population is under 25, he said.
By 2030, one in four young people globally will be from Africa, Lamola said.
“This means our economies and level of job creation must be at the same par with population growth,” he said.
A focus on gender equality, climate resilience and disaster-risk management would also underpin the priorities.
“These considerations must run through every aspect of our regional programme because our development cannot be inclusive if it is gender-blind, leaves young people behind or fails to prepare our communities for climate and other shocks,” Lamola said.
Lamola urges SADC states to back orderly migration
Migration is also expected to feature during South Africa’s chairpersonship.
Lamola said South Africa was experiencing an increasingly vigorous public debate around irregular migration, the integrity of national borders, access to economic opportunities and pressure on communities and public institutions.
While acknowledging the concerns of citizens, he said South Africa rejected vigilantism and human rights violations.
“Addressing the challenges associated with irregular migration must occur within an orderly and lawful framework,” Lamola said.
He said migration should not be viewed solely as a security issue, as the movement of people across the region was also connected to economic opportunities and employment.
“Indeed, as Durban’s story shows, our country’s industrial development immensely benefited from the large labour pools from our region and beyond,” he said.
Lamola called on SADC member states to sign the protocol on the free movement of people to enable regular and orderly migration.
“We are hopeful that, together, we can chart a path towards holistic and long-lasting solutions to the migration challenges facing our region,” he said.
Peace, security and stability would remain another key priority during South Africa’s tenure.
Lamola said the security of one member state was inseparable from the security and stability of the entire SADC community.
“Our regional bloc has a proud history of collectively responding to threats to peace and security in our region,” he said.
“Time and again, we have demonstrated that regional solidarity remains our greatest strength in addressing emerging security and political challenges.”
Lamola said South Africa was assuming the chairpersonship amid great-power competition, increased external shocks, climate disasters, the threat of pandemics and a turn inward by advanced economies.
SADC needed to ensure its regional development frameworks translated into improvements in the lives of its people.
“Let us use this moment to renew our commitment to bridging the distance between the ambitions expressed in our regional instruments and the capacity of our institutions to realise them,” Lamola said.
He added South Africa recognised its responsibility as the region’s most industrialised economy to contribute its capabilities to regional integration and shared prosperity.
“We approach the Chairpersonship in that spirit, with humility, purpose and a commitment to work with every Member State,” he said.
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za
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