The 45th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit of Heads of State and Government officially kicked off on August 4, 2025, in the Malagasy capital with a key focus on reviewing the implementation of the region’s 2030 development blueprint the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP).
Tanzania is actively participating in the meetings, with its delegation led by Ms. Talha Waziri, Director of Regional Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation.
The high-level gathering opened with a technical session involving senior officials and experts from across the region.
Discussions are centered on evaluating the progress made under RISDP 2030, identifying key bottlenecks, and proposing concrete solutions to fast-track implementation.
Addressing the session, Zimbabwe’s Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador Albert Chimbindi, acknowledged the positive strides recorded so far.
However, he stressed that stronger joint efforts by SADC member states are crucial to fully realize the region’s development ambitions before the 2030 deadline.
“While there are areas of progress, implementation is still below expectations. Member states need to strengthen cooperation, particularly in infrastructure and intra-regional trade, which remain vital pillars of our integration agenda,” he said.
Recent SADC reports indicate that trade within the region has grown modestly, but remains significantly below potential hindered by non-tariff barriers, logistical constraints, and insufficient investment in cross-border infrastructure.
In her remarks, SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration, Ms. Angeles N'Tumba, highlighted the urgent need for innovative and sustainable financing mechanisms to support regional projects.
She called on member states to explore alternative funding models that reduce reliance on external donors.
“We must rethink how we finance our regional programmes. We can draw lessons from other blocs like ECOWAS, which has adopted a more autonomous and sustainable approach to mobilising resources for development,” she noted.
RISDP 2030 outlines SADC’s collective roadmap towards deeper integration, industrialization, infrastructure development, economic diversification, and social progress.
The plan aligns with both the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The summit, being hosted under the theme “Human and Financial Capital: The Key Drivers for Sustainable Industrialisation in the SADC Region”, will culminate in the Heads of State meeting scheduled for August 17, 2025.
Tanzania is expected to participate fully in all sessions, reaffirming its commitment to the SADC agenda of regional cooperation, shared prosperity, and peace.
The outcomes of the summit are expected to shape the next phase of implementation strategies, as the region moves closer to the 2030 horizon with a shared resolve to overcome persistent challenges and unlock the full potential of regional integration.