South Africa is once again at the heart of continental affairs, with Durban hosting the 46th Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and President Cyril Ramaphosa delivering a rousing public lecture setting out a vision of a self-reliant, industrialised Southern Africa.
Speaking at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Westville Campus on Friday, on the eve of the summit, the President said the region already has everything it needs to prosper, as reported by SAnews.
“We have the means”
The lecture was held under the theme “Translating SADC Vision 2050 into Action: Pathways Towards Solidarity, Equality and Shared Prosperity”, and the President’s message was one of confidence in the region’s potential.
“Together, we have the mineral resources we need. We have the technology and know-how to turn these resources into the manufactured goods that our people use. We have the financial institutions, the funding instruments and the markets to finance our industries and to build the infrastructure we need.”
With trade among SADC states standing at just under a quarter of the region’s combined total trade, President Ramaphosa said the opportunity for growth is enormous. “We need to use our own resources to drive our own industrial revolution,” he told the audience.
From potential to production
The President laid out practical steps to unlock the region’s economic power, including:
- Removing non-tariff barriers, harmonising standards and speeding up border processes so goods move easily across the region;
- Investing in refining and smelting capacity so Southern Africa processes its own critical minerals;
- Building regional transport corridors such as the Maputo, North-South, Trans-Kalahari, Beira and Lobito corridors, which “must carry power, data and people”;
- Expanding electricity trading through the Southern African Power Pool, alongside renewable energy, green hydrogen and battery storage;
- Growing pharmaceutical manufacturing, supported by a new SADC pooled procurement mechanism for medicines.
He identified pharmaceuticals, automotive manufacturing, agro-processing, paper and pulp, furniture and semiconductor value chains as industries with real potential to drive regional industrialisation, with small and medium-sized enterprises creating opportunities for women and young people.
A proud host
The summit itself is being held under the theme of resilient, sustainable and inclusive industrialisation through infrastructure development, agricultural and critical minerals transformation.
For Durban and for South Africa, hosting the leaders of 16 member states is another moment in the spotlight, and another chance to show the warmth and capability that make Mzansi a natural home for Africa’s big conversations.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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