SADC, AfDB deepen partnership to advance regional development

GABORONE-The Secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) are holding a Strategic Engagement Mission from 08-09 October 2026 in Gaborone, Botswana, to strengthen collaboration on regional integration, infrastructure development, industrialisation, and sustainable financing.

Opening the mission, Dr Judith Kateera, SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Corporate Affairs, welcomed the AfDB delegation led by Dr Kennedy K. Mbekeani, Director General of the African Development Bank Southern Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office.

She described the engagement as a timely opportunity to align priorities under the Revised SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030 and the Bank's redesigned strategy.

Dr Kateera noted that despite growing economic pressures from global uncertainties, trade disruptions, commodity price volatility, and constrained financing conditions, the region has significant opportunities to strengthen value chains, accelerate industrialisation, and attract strategic investment.

Dr Mbekeani reaffirmed the Bank's commitment to supporting SADC's regional integration and development agenda.

He outlined the Bank's operating model and highlighted financing and advisory instruments available to Member States, including sovereign and non-sovereign financing, project preparation support, guarantees, blended finance, and technical assistance.

He said the Bank stands ready to help develop regional projects to bankability and mobilise investment for infrastructure, trade, energy, and industrialisation.

Dr Kateera highlighted the Secretariat's intention to seek AfDB support for transformative regional projects, including the North-South Corridor, One-Stop Border Posts, the SADC Integrated Digital Payment System, regional agro-processing initiatives, pharmaceutical manufacturing, energy interconnections, and mineral beneficiation programmes.

She also reiterated the importance of operationalising the SADC Regional Development Fund as a sustainable mechanism for financing regional priorities.

The Deputy Executive Secretary called on the AfDB to continue playing a catalytic role through concessional financing, blended finance instruments, guarantees, and project preparation support to unlock public and private investment in infrastructure, energy, agriculture, health, and industrial value chains.

The African Development Bank remains one of SADC's key funding partners, with an active portfolio valued at approximately UA16.9 million (US$22.1 million) supporting regional development initiatives.

Among the Bank-supported initiatives is the PROFISHBLUE Project, valued at UA6.4 million (US$9.2 million), which has benefited more than 3.3 million people through fisheries governance reforms, strengthened regional fish value chains, and blue economy investments.

The SADC Trade and Transit Facilitation Programme, valued at UA4.5 million (US$6.3 million), is improving trade and transport efficiency along the North-South Corridor, while the Resilient Health Systems for Emergency Preparedness (RHeSEP) Project, valued at UA6.97 million (US$9.8 million), is strengthening regional health security and emergency preparedness.

The AfDB is also supporting the SADC Macroeconomic Convergence and Financial Integration Project, valued at UA5 million (US$7 million), to advance macroeconomic stability and financial market integration across the region.