SADC reports concrete progress on regional tourism integration at ITB Berlin - ATC News by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome (Posted 10th March 2026)   Air access study, a visa harmonisation pilot and cross-border product development advance the SADC Tourism Programme 2020–2030’s ambition to exceed global tourism growth by 2030 As Angola took centre stage as the Official Host Country of ITB Berlin 2026, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat convened a stakeholder […]

atcnews.org/sadc-reports...

#Africa
#SouthernAfrica
#SADC
#RegionalTourism

⚡ Women Energy Entrepreneurs in SADC – Apply Now!
6-month virtual capacity-building programme.
📈 Business training
🤝 Mentorship
💼 Financing matchmaking
⏰ Deadline: 3 April 2026
🔗 Apply: wp.me/p23f03-epM
#WomenInEnergy #SADC #RenewableEnergy #Entrepreneurship

SADC approves over M29 million to advance Lesotho–Botswana water transfer project The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Project Preparation and Development Facility (PPDF) has approved US$1.83 million (about M29.194 million) to support the Lesotho–Botswana Water Transfe...

#Lesotho-#Botswana Water Transfer Project (#LBWTP) gets R29 million grant from #SADC for feasibility study and environmental impact study.

#Water
#Development

newsdayonline.co.ls/sadc-approve...

UPDATE 🌊 | Southern Africa Floods

Hundreds are now being rescued across flood-affected areas. We commend emergency teams and regional forces for saving lives 🚁👏.

Thousands still need shelter 🏠, water 💧 & care 🏥.
Climate impacts demand urgent action.

#SouthernAfricaFloods #SADC #DisasterResponse

AIICS is recruiting a Regional Director – Southern Africa (voluntary, 1‑year probation) to lead work on industry classification standards with SADC partners.

Send CV + 1‑page motivation to aiics@protonmail.org. #SouthernAfrica #SADC #Standards

SADC affirms its strong development partnership with Germany GABORONE (Botswana), Nov 8 (NNN-DAILYNEWS) — THE Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Federal Republic of Germany have reaffirmed their longstanding partnership during the latest round of bilateral negotiations on development cooperation, held on Nov 5-6 at the SADC Secretariat Headquarters in Gaborone, Botswana. Co-chaired by Elias Magosi, the Executive Secretary of SADC, and […]

SADC affirms its strong development partnership with Germany #SADC #Germany #DevelopmentPartnership #BilateralCooperation #Botswana

No bark, no bite — AU and SADC sidestep Tanzania’s poll flaws - The Africa Report.com Regional bodies have come under fire for not speaking out against the deteriorating human rights situation in Tanzania ahead of the 29 October general elections – characterised by protests and stayawa...

ICJ Africa Director Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh spoke with #TheAfricaReport to ask why the #AU & #SADC remain silent in the face of repression & ongoing human rights violations in #Tanzania: www.theafricareport.com/396600/regio...

Unión Africana exige levantamiento incondicional de sanciones contra Zimbabwe La Comisión de la Unión Africana (CUA) expresó su plena solidaridad y la denuncia a las medidas coercitivas que socaban el desarrollo.

Unión Africana exige levantamiento incondicional de sanciones contra Zimbabwe La Comisión de la Unión Africana (CUA) expresó su plena solidaridad y la denuncia a las medidas coercitivas que socaban el desarrollo.

Essay: Madagascar coup - why turning a blind eye to an unpopular President weakens regional bodies - Sight Magazine JONATHAN POWELL and SALAH BEN HAMMOU say the SADC's support of Madagascar's ousted president undermines their credibility...

Essay: Madagascar coup – why turning a blind eye to an unpopular President weakens regional bodies. @sightmagazine.bsky.social #Madagascar #Madagascarcoup #AndryRajoelina #SADC #SouthernAfricanDevelopmentCommunity #CAPSAT

sightmagazine.com.au/essays/essay...

Kijk, dit is nou een duurzame distributiehal in de Lutkemeer. Wat een schitterend insectenhotel! Helaas zijn beide leeg.

Kijk, dit is nou een duurzame distributiehal in de Lutkemeer. Wat een schitterend insectenhotel! Helaas zijn beide leeg.

@voedselpark.bsky.social #amsterdam #SADC @d66amsterdam.bsky.social @pvda020.bsky.social

Werkbezoek @pedegro in @haarlemmermeer over #woningbouw en #mobiliteit (en wat slim energieverbruik) @AdamElzakalai @TrudievantHull #SADC #Schiphol #PharosToren

Seeing it reported over on Facebook that the #Lesotho Exemption Permits (#LEP) are being extended for another 18 months--to May 2027. No link yet that I have found.

Good news for #Basotho who have regularised their status in #SouthAfrica.

#Borders
#SADC
#Neighbours

#Botswana puts three men in the finals of the men's 400 meters at the #WorldAthleticsChamps! (South Africa has one as well for 4 of the 8 finalists from #SADC)

Is this the year that they de-throne the USA for the 4x400 meter championship?!?!

Swedish envoy visits SADC Parliamentary Forum Moses Magadza  The newly appointed minister counsellor and deputy head of mission at the Embassy of Sweden in Pretoria, Kristian Olsson Selerud, has hailed parliaments in the SADC region as the “beating hearts of democracy”.  He spoke on Tuesday during his first official visit to the secretariat of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) in Windhoek, Namibia. “If our parliaments don’t function, neither the executive nor the judiciary can do their work. Parliamentarians are there to represent and serve the people, and their role is indispensable,” Selerud told SADC PF staff at the Forum’s Secretariat and project researchers who joined online from across the SADC region. He was accompanied by Veronica Perzanowska, counsellor, analyst, acting head of the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)team at the embassy of Sweden. He reaffirmed Sweden’s longstanding partnership with the SADC PF, which stretches back decades.  Sweden is the main supporter of the main  Forum’s SRHR, HIV and AIDS Governance Project, currently in its third phase running from 2023 to 2026. SADC PF secretary general Boemo Sekgoma said Sweden’s support to SADC PF has been impactful and has catalysed far-reaching reforms.  “These reforms are proof that parliaments can directly shape people’s lives when backed with strong laws and proper oversight,” she said.  Sekgoma said Sweden’s support remains a lifeline for SRHR in SADC.  She praised Sweden for its “longstanding and valued partnership” with the Forum and described the Nordic country’s support as the “last beacon” for advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in the region. She noted that Sweden’s consistent collaboration with the Forum since 2009 has been pivotal in entrenching parliamentary democracy and building regional policy frameworks. “Thanks to the collaboration with Sweden, the Forum has been able to implement its SRHR mandate over the years. You have helped entrench parliamentary democracy and assisted parliaments at the regional level in developing a bill of rights and body of policies in SRHR, gender and others, which influence national policymaking,” she stated. Sekgoma highlighted the current SRHR HIV and AIDS Governance Project (2023–2026) as a critical tool in advancing inclusive health and social justice.  The project, she explained, tackles pressing issues in the region, such as eradicating child marriages, eradicatinggender-based violence, ensuring universal access to SRHR services, good governance and accountability, human rights and preventing discrimination against key populations. The project also supports the domestication of SADC Model Laws, including the Model Law on Gender-Based Violence and the Model Law on Public Financial Management, which Sekgoma said were crucial to good governance and democratic accountability. A unique dimension of the project, according to Sekgoma, is its integration of climate action and gender mainstreaming.  “The SADC region is a flood-prone region where more than five countries have over 10% of their population exposed to floods, and this does not even include other weather events such as droughts,” she observed and stressed the need to ensure women’s and girls’ voices are not excluded from climate initiatives and disaster recovery strategies. The SG underscored the role of the Sweden-supported project in keeping SRHR on the parliamentary agenda despite competing crises. “Without this project, several domestic laws to prevent child marriage would not have been enacted, and budgets would not have been as responsive as they are today. I might even add that without this project in recent years, some governments would have prioritised Covid-19 and other ailments, completely discarding SRHR,” she said. She added that the project had also fostered an unprecedented “symbiosis” between MPs, faith leaders, civil society organisations, and line ministries, creating a unified platform for advancing SRHR across the region. Moreover, in a context marked by tariff conflicts inflating the cost of medicines and sanitary products and shrinking donor support, such as the erosion of USAID funds, Sekgoma said the project remains “the last lifeline” against mounting anti-rights pressures and hostility toward sexual minorities. “The project continues to be a shield for SRHR advancement … In these circumstances, the project remains as the last beacon for SRHR in a region whilst daily, various factors interplay to make SRHR recede, if not vanish,” she emphasised. She described the deputy ambassador’s visit as a testament to “the robust bonds of solidarity between the Forum and the Embassy of Sweden” and reiterated gratitude for Sweden’s belief in democracy, human rights and parliamentary cooperation. Officials from SADC PF highlighted sweeping reforms and growing visibility of the project and credited Sweden’s support for helping parliaments across the region to translate model laws into tangible change. Presenting an overview of progress, Dr Jacob Segale, SRHR and M&E project manager, said the project has been pivotal in strengthening legal frameworks and embedding SRHR in national agendas in SADC member states. “The project strategically employs model laws to catalyse change in national legal frameworks,” he said and noted that Members of Parliament have been at the heart of legislative, oversight, budgetary, and representative interventions. Between 2019 and 2024, 41 SRHR-related acts were passed in the region, while MPs held more than 186 public hearings and raised over 587 SRHR-related questions in national assemblies.  “From Malawi amending its Child Care, Protection and Justice Act to set the minimum marriage age at 18 to the Democratic Republic of Congo raising its health budget from 9.11% to 11%, the results show the catalytic effect of parliamentary action guided by model laws,” Dr Segale observed. He added that although challenges remain, especially regarding LGBTIQ inclusion, “there is a decisive regional trajectory toward universal SRHR, driven by peer learning, robust oversight, and democratic accountability.” On the communication front, the Swedish envoy heard that visibility had long been a concern for the Forum but has improved significantly in recent years. “For years, the Sweden-supported SRHR Project grappled with limited visibility of its work. Today, results are encouraging. Newspapers and online media in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Botswana, Seychelles, Namibia, and Malawi now routinely carry our content once it is supplied in ready-to-publish format,” an official said. The official explained that many outlets, both public and private, publish Forum content, amplifying its reach regionally and globally.  “These partnerships have significantly boosted the Forum’s visibility,” he stressed and presented data on digital performance, noting that the Forum’s website remains a trusted hub for parliamentary information. In terms of transparency and accountability, Internal Auditor Mr. Samuel Bokosi and Project Accountant Mr. Raj Mahendrasing Khooblal informed the Swedish delegation about the Forum’s financial protections, which include regular outside audits, a whistleblower policy, and a regional oversight system managed by parliamentary clerks.  The latest external audit gave the project a clean bill of health. Yapoka Nyirenda Mungandi, director of finance & corporate services at SADC PF, assured Selerud that Sweden’s financial support to the Forum was “in good hands” and being used for intended purposes. Selerud’s visit to the SADC PF happened only three weeks into his new posting. He urged the Forum and its partners to stay vigilant and guard democratic gains. “Sweden remains a steadfast partner when it comes to democracy, human rights and institution-building.Globally we are seeing pushback on issues we once took for granted. The best thing we can do now is to prevent backsliding and to protect the hard-won gains in democracy, gender equality and human rights.” He added that model laws are  powerful tool for guiding parliaments across the SADC region. “We will continue to walk this journey with you. Democracy thrives when parliaments thrive,” Selerud said. -Moses Magadza (PhD) is the media and communications manager at the SADC Parliamentary Forum.

#Sweden #SADC #Democracy #Parliament #InternationalRelations

EU–Namibia Business Forum set for 2026 Justicia Shipena Preparations are underway for the next EU–Namibia Business Forum, scheduled for 24–25 March 2026.  The announcement was made during the 2025 EU–Namibia Partnership Dialogue held in Windhoek on Monday. The dialogue was co-chaired by Namibia’s minister of international relations and trade, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, and the European Union (EU) ambassador to Namibia, Ana Beatriz Martins.  It brought together senior Namibian government officials, EU representatives, and member states, including France, Finland, Germany, Portugal, and Spain. Talks focused on strengthening economic and trade ties, with emphasis on the EU–SADC Economic Partnership Agreement and the African Continental Free Trade Area.  The meeting also reviewed progress on the strategic partnership on renewable hydrogen and critical raw materials, highlighting opportunities for value addition, skills development, and infrastructure. Ashipala-Musavyi said the meeting marked an important step in strengthening cooperation.  “This continued engagement is testament to the strength and resilience of our partnership,” she stated. Namibia and the EU last held a political dialogue in 2022. The EU remains one of Namibia’s largest trading partners. It imports Namibian fish, meat, grapes, precious stones and metals, ores, and charcoal, while exporting pharmaceuticals, machinery, vehicles, and mineral fuels to Namibia.  Since the launch of the EU–SADC Economic Partnership Agreement in 2016, Namibia has enjoyed full duty-free access to the EU market.  In 2023, 95% of Namibia’s exports to the EU went to Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, and Portugal. “This dynamic relationship represents a win-win exchange and mutually beneficial trade partnership. However, like all such relationships, it requires regular review and adaptation to reflect current realities,” Ashipala-Musavyi said. She also commended EU support for Namibia’s development agenda, citing projects such as the N$730 million green industrialisation project, the TIDRET renewable energy project, the Etunda Feedlot, and drought response assistance.  She tied the dialogue to Namibia’s development priorities under the recently launched sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), which focuses on economic growth, human development, environmental sustainability, and good governance. She stressed the need to align the Namibia–EU partnership with Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the UN 2030 Agenda.  “We are all interdependent. Hence, the importance of collectively addressing common challenges such as climate change, wildfires, drought and desertification, lack of energy, food insecurity, youth unemployment, migration, digital transformation and health risks, among others,” she said. The dialogue also took place as the world marked UN@80 and the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.  Namibia will host events both at home and at the UN Headquarters to mark the milestone. Martins reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to Namibia, highlighting trade, green energy, and youth development. “Ours is a partnership forged on the principles of solidarity, rooted in shared values of democracy, peace, and respect for human rights,” she said.  She added that Namibia’s leadership was a shared value.  “Namibia’s commitment to gender equality, exemplified by its female leadership, resonates deeply with Europe’s journey to empower women in prominent roles.”

#EUNamibia #BusinessForum #EconomicPartnership #TradeRelations #SADC

Themba Masuku to lead SADC Electoral Observation Mission to Malawi Themba Masuku to lead SADC Electoral Observation Mission to Malawi NBC Online Fri, 08/29/2025 - 18:22

#SADCElections #MalawiElections #ThembaMasuku #ElectionObservation #SADC

SADC climate experts to convene in Lusaka to tackle risks - Namibia Economist SADC climate experts to convene in Lusaka to tackle risks  Namibia Economist

#ClimateChange #SADC #Lusaka #ClimateExperts #SustainableDevelopment

SALC’s @melusisiboniso.bsky.social, yesterday, during an interview with Gabz-FM called for active citizenship across #SADC, discussing the US-Eswatini deportation agreement. #Uganda #Botswana #eswatini
#notousdeportationplanestosadc
See interview: youtu.be/xdU3h4Jn2fA

A community’s fight against water contamination in Matatiele As countries fail to adopt a treaty to throttle plastic pollution globally, the story of Eastern Cape herders tackling the scourge of throwaway nappies in communal grazing unwittingly exposes a new fo...

As countries fail on plastics treaty, story of SA herders tackling scourge of throwaway nappies exposes new form of #pollution across region. Airborne #microplastics may be to #SADC water factory what acid rain was to G North in 1980s @coveringclimatenow.org
www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025...

NNN Pushes for Regional Food Security [New Era] Antananarivo -- President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, in her first address to the 45th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit as Namibia's Head of State, has called for greater cooperation and urgency to ensure food security is not just a goal on paper but a reality in every home across the region.

#FoodSecurity #SADC #Namibia #RegionalCooperation #SustainableDevelopment

Intégration régionale et transformation économique en Afrique : Mansouri réaffirme l’engagement de l’Algérie à La secrétaire d'Etat auprès du ministre des Affaires étrangères, chargée des Affaires africaines, Selma Bakhta Mansouri, a réitéré dimanche l'engagement

L’Algérie réaffirme son soutien aux efforts de la #SADC pour l’intégration régionale et la transformation économique en Afrique.

🔗Lire l'article : ecotimesdz.com/algerie-sout...

#Algérie #Afrique #IntégrationRégionale #Agenda2063

Nandi-Ndaitwah Calls On SADC Countries to Prioritise Youth Digital Transformation [Namibian] President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called on Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states to prioritise youth empowerment through the creative industry and digital transformation.

#YouthEmpowerment #DigitalTransformation #CreativeIndustry #SADC #Africa

Lesotho dropped from SADC Organ Troika agenda Lesotho dropped from SADC Organ Troika agenda NBC Online Mon, 08/18/2025 - 14:30

#Lesotho #SADC #OrganTroika #PoliticalStability #SouthernAfrica

SADC fund yet to win full ratification Allexer Namundjembo  Only nine Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states have signed an agreement to establish and operationalise the SADC Development Fund, SADC executive secretary Elias Magosi has announced. This means about 44% of the countries have not signed the agreement.  Speaking at the opening of the 45th SADC Summit in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Magosi said Angola and Zimbabwe remain the only countries to have deposited their ratification instruments, while Namibia is close to finalising the process.  He stressed that the fund is key to reducing dependence on external aid and achieving economic self-sufficiency. “The SADC Development Fund continues to play a crucial role in our collective efforts to strengthen financial independence and build sustainable regional development,” Magosi said. The fund is expected to provide member states with resources for infrastructure, industrialisation and other initiatives that drive regional integration.  Its origins date back more than two decades, with feasibility studies in the early 2000s leading to the creation of the Development Finance Resource Centre in 2003.  In March 2016, SADC’s ministers of finance and investment agreed to operationalise the fund in phases, beginning with project preparation. The agreement to establish the fund was adopted at the 39th SADC Summit in Tanzania in 2019. SADC is made up of 16 member states, including Angola, Botswana, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  Delivering her maiden speech at the summit, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah reaffirmed Namibia’s commitment to SADC’s principles and called for action to address hunger, youth unemployment, and inequality. “Our collective efforts must always aim to improve the living conditions of all our people across the SADC region in a tangible way and address the social challenges they face,” she said. Nandi-Ndaitwah urged member states to add value to minerals before export, equip young people with skills, and invest in ICT, digital innovation, and creative industries.  On security, she voiced concern about instability in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and called for stronger political will and collective action to restore peace.  She also paid tribute to the SADC Mission in the DRC, honouring soldiers who lost their lives. She highlighted Namibia’s commitment to gender equality, pointing to the launch of the Namibia International Women’s Peace Centre and urging closer collaboration to advance women’s empowerment. Nandi-Ndaitwah called on leaders to embrace the summit’s theme, “Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation, and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC”, as a guide for building a stronger region. “Together, united in purpose and resolve, we can build a peaceful, prosperous, and self-reliant SADC, a region which we can all feel proud to call our home,” she said. The 45th SADC Summit continues this week with discussions on regional integration, economic growth, food security, and peacebuilding.

#SADC #DevelopmentFund #EconomicIndependence #RegionalDevelopment #InfrastructureInvestment

SADC faces food insecurity affecting 60 million in 2024 SADC faces food insecurity affecting 60 million in 2024 NBC Online Sun, 08/17/2025 - 17:07

#FoodInsecurity #SADC #AgriculturalTransformation #InvestInAgriculture #FoodSecurity

SADC leaders urge review of regional and international trade engagements SADC leaders urge review of regional and international trade engagements NBC Online Sun, 08/17/2025 - 16:09

#SADC #TradeReview #RegionalTrade #InternationalTrade #EconomicEngagements

President Nandi-Ndaitwah warns SADC on hunger and youth unemployment President Nandi-Ndaitwah warns SADC on hunger and youth unemployment NBC Online Sun, 08/17/2025 - 15:57

#SADC #YouthUnemployment #FoodSecurity #EconomicDevelopment #Leadership

Zimbabwe hands over SADC Chairpersonship to Madagascar at 45th Summit Zimbabwe hands over SADC Chairpersonship to Madagascar at 45th Summit NBC Online Sun, 08/17/2025 - 16:32

#Zimbabwe #Madagascar #SADC #Diplomacy #InternationalRelations