SADC Regional Indicative

Strategic Development Plan

(RISDP)
2020–2030
October 2020

COMOROS
Moroni
SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020–2030
Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat
Plot 54385 CBD Square
Private Bag 0095
Gaborone, Botswana
Tel: +267 395 1863
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.sadc.int

©SADC 2020
ISBN 978-99968-464-2-7
Information in this publication may be reproduced, used and shared with full acknowledgement of the publisher,
SADC Secretariat.

Citation: Southern African Development Community (SADC) Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan
(RISDP) 2020–2030, Gaborone, Botswana, 2020.
About SADC
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is an organisation founded and maintained by countries in
Southern Africa that aims to further socio-economic, political, and security cooperation among its Member States and
foster regional integration in order to achieve peace, stability, and wealth. The Member States are Angola, Botswana,
the Union of Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius,
Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Table of Contents

3 Table of contents

4 List of figures

5 List of tables

6 List of abbreviations

7 Foreword - President of the Republic of Mozambique and Chairperson of SADC

8 Acknowledgements - SADC Executive Secretary

9 Executive summary

12 Introduction

15 Chapter 1: Situational analysis and megatrends

1.1 Global Context
1.2 Continental Context
1.3 SADC Socio-Economic Context

28 Chapter 2: Progress and achievements of the revised RISDP 2015-2020

2.1 Industrial Development and Market Integration
2.2 Infrastructure Development
2.3 Social and Human Capital Development
2.4 Cross-Cutting Issues
2.5 Peace and Security

39 Chapter 3: Vision, mission, and principles

3.1 SADC Vision 2050
3.2 Mission
3.3 Principles
3.4 Theory of Change
3.5 RISDP Results Chain

47 Chapter 4: Strategic priorities

4.1 The Foundation: Peace, Security, and Good Governance
4.2 Pillar 1: Industrial Development and Market Integration
4.3 Pillar 2: Infrastructure Development in Support of Regional Integration
4.4 Pillar 3: Social and Human Capital Development
4.5 Cross-Cutting Issues: Gender, Youth, Environment and Climate Change, and Disaster Risk
Management

58 Chapter 5: Strategic management of the RISDP

5.1 Legal, Policy, and Institutional Frameworks
5.2 Sustainable Funding Strategy
5.3 Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting
5.4 Communication, Visibility, and Awareness

61 Annex

3 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

List of Figures

Fig. 1: WTO forecast: The greater trade collapse 2020 (2015 = 100) 16
Fig. 2: World wealth inequality trends 2000–2019 17
Fig. 3: Africa vs. world: GDP growth 20
Fig. 4: Share of extreme poor: 1990 vs. 2015 – “More than half of the world’s poor live in Africa” 22
Fig. 5: GDP growth rates (%) for SADC countries 24
Fig. 6: Spider diagram of Ease of Doing Business in SADC in 2019 24
Fig. 7: Changing temperature in cropping areas in 2015–2016, juxtaposed with a 15-year period 26

4 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

List of Tables

Table 1: Results of impacts (declines), and estimated growth in 2020 20

Table 2: Main risks and opportunities associated with continental and global megatrends 22
Table 3: Key economic indicators for SADC 25
Table 4: Strategic objectives and outcomes of RISDP 2020–2030 44

5 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

List of Abbreviations

4IR Fourth Industrial Revolution PGR Plant genetic resources

ADF Agricultural Development Fund PPP Public-private partnership
AEC African Economic Community PSC Peace and Security Council (AU)
AfCTA African Continental Free Trade Area PSEM Private Sector Engagement Mechanism
AfDB African Development Bank R&D Research and development
Africa CDC Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention RAP Regional Agricultural Policy
AI Artificial intelligence RAIP Regional Agricultural Investment Plan
AIDA Accelerated Industrial Development for Africa RCTG Regional Customs Transit Guarantee Regulations
AMSS Automatic Message Switching System RDF Regional Development Fund
AMV African Mining Vision REASAP Regional Energy Access and Strategic Action Plan
AnGR Animal genetic resources REC Regional economic community
APPSA Agricultural Productivity Programme for Southern Africa REEESAP Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Strategy and Action Plan
APRM African Peer Review Mechanism RETOSA Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa
ARC African Risk Capacity REWC Regional Early Warning Centre
AU African Union RISDP Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan
AWS Automatic Weather Station RLD Regional Logistics Depot
BIAT Boosting Intra-African Trade RMD-WEEP Regional Multidimensional Women’s Economic Empowerment
BUPUSA Buzi, Pungwe, and Save (tri-basin) Programme
CAADP Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme RMV Regional Mining Vision
CCAS Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (for the water sector) RPO Regional Poverty Observatory
CERT Computer Emergency Response Team RSAP Regional Strategic Action Plan for Integrated Water Resources
Development and Management
CIRT Computer Incident Response Team
RTGS Real Time Gross Settlement (SADC system)
CLISYS Climate Data Management and Processing System
SADC Southern African Development Community
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019
SADCQF SADC Qualifications Framework
CSC Climate Services Centre
SARCIS-DR Southern African Regional Climate Information Services for
CSTL Care and Support for Teaching and Learning Disaster Resilience
DRC Democratic Republic of the Congo SAWIDRA Satellite and Weather Information for Disaster Resilience in Africa
DSB Digital Sound Broadcasting SDG Sustainable Development Goal
DTT Digital terrestrial television SEforAll Sustainable Energy Access for All
E-CoO Electronic Certificate of Origin SHOC SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre
EO Earth Observation SIPO Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ on Defence, Politics, and
EU European Union Security Cooperation
EWS Early Warning System SIRESS SADC Integrated Regional Electronic Settlement System
FNSS Food and Nutrition Security Strategy SISR SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap
FTA Free Trade Area SMEs Small- and medium-sized enterprises
GCF Green Climate Fund SPPS SADC Pooled Procurement Services system for pharmaceuticals
GDP Gross domestic product and medical supplies
GGWI Great Green Wall Initiative SPS Sanitary and phytosanitary
GMO Genetically modified organism SRGES SADC Regional Green Economy Strategy
HPC High-Performance Computing server SRHR Sexual and reproductive health rights
ICP International cooperating partner SRII SADC Regional Information Infrastructure
ICT Information and communications technology SSF SADC Standby Force
IDI ICT for Development Index STEM Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
IMF International Monetary Fund STI Science, technology, and innovation
IT Information technology STISA Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa
ITU International Telecommunication Union STISA-2024 Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024
ISACIP Institutional Support to African Climate Institutions Project STR Simplified Trade Regime Framework
IWRMD Integrated Water Resources Management and Development SWOT Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
LEAP Law Enforcement and Anti-Poaching Strategy TB Tuberculosis
M&E Monitoring and evaluation TFCA Transfrontier Conservation Area
MCS Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance Centre TFTA Tripartite Free Trade Area
MESA Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa TPCCMA Tripartite Programme on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
MSMEs Micro, small, and medium enterprises TVET Technical and vocational education and training
NAIP National Agricultural Investment Plan TWIX Trade in Wildlife Information eXchange System
NIXP National Internet Exchange Point UN United Nations
NMHS National Meteorological and Hydrological Service UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation
NQF National Qualifications Framework UNSCR United Nations Security Council Resolution
NSA Non-state actor U.S. United States
NSO National Statistics Office WHO World Health Organisation
NTB Non-tariff barrier WISETO Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology Organisation
NVAC National Vulnerability Assessment Committee WMO World Meteorological Organisation
ODA Official development assistance WTO World Trade Organisation
OSBP One-Stop Border Post ZAMCOM Zambezi Watercourse Commission

6 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

Foreword

I am pleased to present SADC’s Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030, which is an
outcome of a comprehensive consultative process, and marks another milestone in our efforts to foster regional
cooperation and integration.
As SADC celebrates its 40th anniversary, we take stock of past achievements and challenges, and rededicate our
efforts to the sustenance of peace and security, and towards the region’s socio-economic transformation. As we
move forward, the region will be premised on SADC Vision 2050, which is to have by 2050, a peaceful, inclusive,
competitive, middle- to high-income industrialised region, where all citizens enjoy sustainable economic well-being,
justice, and freedom. Guided by this Vision, the RISDP 2020–2030 is a coherent and comprehensive framework for
the implementation of SADC’s regional integration agenda for the next 10 years. It lays out, in an incremental manner,
concrete steps and milestones to be achieved in the journey towards Vision 2050.
As a Community, we have come a long way and achieved success on many fronts. We have continued to make
significant strides in strengthening cooperation in various sectors and establishing institutions at both regional and
national levels to advance the integration agenda. A plethora of protocols, and regional policies and strategies have
led to increased harmonisation of legislation and policies at the national level in a number of areas across sectors.
Our programmes continue to expand in scope and coverage, thus laying a solid foundation for deepened regional
integration.
As we look forward to the next decade and beyond, a success story for the SADC region will be one that leads us on an
inclusive and sustainable growth path, with improved standard and quality of life of our people. RISDP 2020-2030 will
contribute towards the realisation of this goal. We have to ensure that all resources are clearly directed to our priorities
as articulated in RIDSP 2020-2030. I call upon our contemporary and emerging cooperating partners, including the
private sector, to align their support with the RISDP priorities.
We recognise the enormity of the task ahead in implementing RISDP 2020-2030, but let us continue to pursue our
agenda with the desire and determination to succeed. Based on the commitment and visionary leadership, the
earmarked strategic priority areas, the laid out implementation arrangements, and the dedication and concerted efforts
of all, we are poised to excel.
May I thank all stakeholders in SADC Member States, cooperating partners, and the SADC Secretariat for their
contributions in the preparation of this strategy, which I believe will steer the region to greater heights. All of us are
now presented with a great opportunity to work together to deliver visible outcomes and impacts to the quality and
standard of living of the citizens of SADC. Let us take pride for being the privileged participants in implementing RISDP
2020-2030, and forge smart partnerships to deliver on it, and meet the aspirations of our people.

H.E. Filipe Jacinto Nyusi

President of the Republic of Mozambique
and Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community

7 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

Acknowledgements

SADC’s Vision 2050 and Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020–2030 are a result of extensive
collaborative efforts, and contributions by a number of stakeholders, including SADC Member States through public
organisations and the private sector, cooperating partners, non-state actors, think tanks and academia. May I, on
behalf of the Southern Development Community, express our gratitude to all those who contributed in one way or
another in the formulation of the Vision and the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan.
The preparation of the Vision and the RISDP was done through a participatory approach through which extensive
consultations took place. We are grateful to all stakeholders who attended the consultative workshops, which provided
a diverse range of expertise, experiences, and valuable information, all of which is reflected in the strategy document.
While thanking all, allow me to mention some whose roles deserve particular recognition.
We gratefully acknowledge the pivotal role played by SADC Member States, who through written submissions, and
participation in consultative fora, contributed significantly to the formulation of the Vision and the Regional Indicative
Strategic Development Plan.
We also express our deep gratitude to the SADC Council of Ministers, supported by the Standing Committee of
Senior Officials, for its outstanding leadership in steering the development and final adoption of RISDP 2020-2030.
Notwithstanding the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of innovative ways, including virtual
consultations and statutory meetings, were devised to facilitate consultations. The commitment by the Council of
Ministers and the innovative ways enabled the formulation to be finalised successfully amid COVID-19.
Let me also recognise the important role played by a team of consultants from Imani Development International, who
provided technical support to the process. The team researched, analysed, and synthesised the inputs received from
all stakeholders. We are grateful for this very important technical support; the synthesised information enabled the
SADC Secretariat to finalise the drafts of Vision 2050 and the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan 2020–
2030 that were tabled for consideration.
SADC is also grateful to the financial and technical support received from the United Nations Economic Commission
for Africa (UN-ECA), the European Union Commission, and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation
and Development (BMZ) through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
May I also recognise the hard work and dedication by the Secretariat staff to the formulation of these strategic
documents. Their dedication and commitment has been exemplary.

Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax

SADC Executive Secretary

8 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

Executive Summary

The Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP)
2020–2030 draws impetus from the organisation’s Vision 2050, which envisages “a peaceful, inclusive, competitive,
middle- to high-income industrialised region, where all citizens enjoy sustainable economic well-being, justice,
and freedom”. The strategic framework informing RISDP 2020–2030 includes a commitment to upholding the core
principles of the Community, namely, the sovereign equality of all Member States; solidarity, peace, and security;
human rights, democracy, and the rule of law; equity, balance, and mutual benefit; and the peaceful settlement of
disputes. Building on this, the organisation’s Mission 2050 connects RISDP 2020–2030 to the aspirations of SADC
Vision 2050, by resolving to “leverage areas of excellence and implementing priorities to achieve sustainable and
inclusive socio-economic development, through good governance and durable peace and security in the region as
well as the removal of all barriers to deeper integration; and guided by the purposes and principles of the SADC Treaty
and Agenda”.

The aspirations enunciated in SADC’s Vision and Mission 2050 are aligned to key global and continental frameworks,
such as the United Nations’ (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s (AU) Agenda
2063. In line with the SADC Treaty’s quest for wider and deeper regional economic integration and development,
the organisation’s Mission Statement seeks to, (1) create a conducive environment to foster regional cooperation
and integration, (2) accelerate the mobilisation of resources from within the Community and external sources, (3)
improve implementation of SADC policies and programmes, (4) strengthen compliance by Member States through
the implementation of effective compliance monitoring and assurance mechanisms, and (5) magnify visibility and
awareness as a means to trigger the participation of SADC citizens in driving the regional integration agenda.

The main tenet of the Revised RISDP 2015–2020 was to promote regional value chains and increase value-addition
in select priority sectors, including agro-processing, mineral beneficiation, and pharmaceuticals in the short to
medium term. In the long term, the objective was to increase the region’s manufacturing capacity, competitiveness,
and capacity to trade and hence achieve sustainable economic transformation. Informed by the lessons learnt and
achievements of the previous strategy, RISDP 2020–2030 sets out a comprehensive 10-year development agenda
for addressing social, economic, political, and governance issues in the region. In a departure from past practice,
RISDP 2020–2030 brings together issues previously presented separately under the Revised RISDP and Strategic
Indicative Plan for the Organ on Defence, Politics, and Security Cooperation (SIPO). The inclusion of peace, security,
and governance matters in the RISDP 2020–2030 is an innovation that recognises their foundational importance to
ensuring the necessary preconditions for achieving the other priorities.

The previous RISDP made notable gains in various areas upon which RISDP 2020–2030 seeks to build. Those
achievements, highlighted in this new strategy, are worth celebrating, as they demonstrate the unwavering commitment
of SADC Member States to their pursuit of the regional integration agenda. More important, they provide a solid platform
for RISDP 2020–2030 to rest upon, with its foundational pillar, three core pillars, and cross-cutting issues altogether
cascading down to 24 strategic objectives and 48 key outcomes with the shared ambition of contributing towards
SADC Vision 2050. The three core pillars are: (1) Industrial Development and Market Integration, (2) Infrastructure
Development in Support of Regional Integration, and (3) Social and Human Capital Development, anchored in a firm
foundation of Peace, Security, and Good Governance.

Under the Peace, Security, and Good Governance foundational pillar, RISDP 2020–2030 aims to enhance conflict
prevention, management, and resolution mechanisms with an effective early warning system capable of tracking
and monitoring political, security, and socio-economic threats. The intended outcomes include: strengthened early
warning systems; enhanced conflict mediation, prevention, and preventative diplomacy capacity to support Member
States; structured engagement with civil society, especially youth and women, in conflict prevention, management,
and resolution of disputes in the region; and regional measures and strategies to address transnational organised
crime. Efforts will also focus on strengthening political cooperation and enhancing democracy, good governance, the
rule of law, human rights, and human security. In this regard, anticipated improvements include strengthened political
cooperation among Member States, inclusive citizen participation, and compliance monitoring of Member States’
commitments to human rights, peace, security, and good governance in the region.

To realise an enhanced collective defence and security system that is capable of safeguarding the territorial integrity of
the region, efforts will endeavour to, among other things, strengthen the capacity of the SADC Standby Force (SSF) to
safeguard the territorial integrity of the region and conduct complex and multidimensional peace support operations.
This will be complemented by effective implementation of the overarching common defence policy and of regional
strategies on maritime security, cyber security, and anti-terrorism, together with increased engagement of young

9 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

people in defence and peace processes. As part of its prioritisation of Peace, Security, and Good Governance, SADC
will further work towards establishing a responsive and proactive coordination mechanism to address the impact of
climate change, pandemics, and natural disasters, through implementation of the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency
Operations Centre (SHOC), as well as effective response, rescue, and recovery efforts addressing the impact of these
phenomena.

The Industrial Development and Market Integration pillar will comprise efforts directed towards realising an
industrialised regional economy that utilises its natural resources sustainably. Thus, industrial development focusing
on the priority sectors of agro-processing, mineral beneficiation, and pharmaceuticals will be prioritised, alongside
enhancing regional technological capability and capacity through science, technology and innovation. Related to
this, focus will also be placed on transformation of the agricultural sector to promote sustainable management of
the environment and natural resources, while ensuring productivity and improved market access for agro-products.
Particular attention will further be placed on the sustainable development of integrated Green and Blue Economies that
will be expected to generate revenue and employment. The RISDP will also continue deepening efforts towards the
free movement of goods, services, and skills, with increased attention to strengthening cooperation and coordination
among Member States in the tourism sector.

A key priority under this pillar will be ensuring macroeconomic convergence, increased financial integration, monetary
cooperation, and investment. Interventions will focus on further deepening financial integration and financial inclusion,
together with increased monetary cooperation, which will undoubtedly see increased domestic and intra-regional
foreign direct investment.

The economic transformation of the SADC region will require adequate and functioning infrastructure that will guide the
region towards front-loading industrialisation in the context of evolving technologies. This means that the Infrastructure
Development in support of Regional Integration pillar will aim towards interconnected, integrated, and quality
seamless infrastructure and networks, including cross-border infrastructure, which will be pivotal in facilitating the
movement of people, goods, services, and knowledge. As a result, in the RISDP, priority is also placed on ensuring
harmonised policies, strategies, and initiatives in support of cross-border infrastructure and services.

Recognising that the requisite regional infrastructure and services hold the key to economic development and regional
integration, ensuring affordable access to such infrastructure and services will be vital. Thus, the RISDP identifies
diversified regional infrastructure and services as fundamental for facilitating the movement of goods, services, and
skills, as well as the development of regional markets for energy, including renewables; information and communications
technology; water; and transport.

Social and Human Capital Development is a crucial component of industrialisation and regional integration and
involves ensuring that socio-economic development is achieved in a human-centred, inclusive, and sustainable
manner. The Social and Human Capital Development pillar, thus, seeks to create such an enabling environment by
fostering a virtuous link between economic growth and human well-being, through holistic interventions that leave no
one behind and end poverty. Specifically, RISDP 2020–2030 aims at developing modern and well-resourced health
systems that are accessible and responsive in addressing the burden of disease and emergencies. This will see a
scaling-up of efforts to fight against HIV/AIDS and communicable diseases, as well as investments to address all forms
of malnutrition. With a special focus on women, youth, and children, the RISDP also accords attention to enhancing
opportunities for all citizens to enjoy socio-economic well-being in a context of improved food and nutrition security.
Interventions will include accelerated education and skills development and access to full and productive employment.

In RISDP 2020–2030, cross-cutting issues include Gender, Youth, Environment and Climate Change, and
Disaster Risk Management. These issues are central to ensuring that the formulation, deliberation, adoption,
and implementation of regional protocols, strategies, policies, and programmes – underpinned by critical existing
instruments – is undertaken in an inclusive manner. In this regard, the focus is on intensified gender equality,
empowerment, and development through the accelerated equal participation of women, men, and especially youth
in regional development, socio-economic, and political processes at both the national and regional levels. Climate
change resilience and the scaling-up of climate mitigation measures is also emphasised as a cross-cutting issue in
the RISDP. It is expected that disaster risk management investments will be scaled up to ensure increased resilience.
Overall, the RISDP recognises the importance of developing a robust and responsive statistical system to underpin
regional integration processes, including measurement of progress and impact.

10 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

Strategic Management of RISDP 2020–2030

The legal framework of the region is provided by the amended SADC Treaty and SADC Protocols, while its policy
framework consists of new and existing policy documents that guide the Community’s response to existing and
emerging opportunities and challenges. The institutional framework of SADC is manifested in its eight key institutions.
Thematic championship will be used as a tool to drive progress that can be easily replicated across the region at
a later stage. Furthermore, a review study was commissioned, by SADC and the European Union (EU), to examine
existing SADC institutional arrangements and mechanisms, and which will be considered in the formulation of revised
institutional and implementation arrangements for RISDP 2020–2030.

The implementation of SADC policies and programmes relies heavily on the successful mobilisation of resources from
within the Community and from external sources through the SADC Resource Mobilisation Framework. To this end, the
operationalisation of the SADC Regional Development Fund (RDF) will be prioritised. In addition to its relationships with
international cooperating partners, the SADC region will also promote the use of alternative and innovative sources
of development resources with strong potential. These include the remittances of the region’s diaspora, innovative
products funded by African pension funds, and refinements in the continent’s tax legislation and the closure of tax
loopholes, which can collectively free up additional resources for the region’s development. This focus, by SADC, on
harnessing alternative sources of funding is critical, as it will allow the region to fund its developmental agenda and
avoid costly over-reliance on international partners whose support often comes with conditions. There is, therefore,
an urgent need to diversify SADC’s funding base that demands attention. More important, clear implementation rules
and regulations will be developed to address the current and persistent gap between the formulation of regional
policies and strategies by the Secretariat and their implementation by Member States at the national level. This will
be complemented by interventions towards securing fully capacitated and functional SADC institutions, as well as the
formation of strategic partnerships and engagement with non-state actors.

11 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

Introduction

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has made significant progress in advancing regional
cooperation and integration since its establishment in 1980. With a population of 350 million in 16 Member States,
SADC has evolved from being a coordinating conference into an active regional development community, making it a
key building block of African unity through the African Union (AU). In pursuit of the regional integration agenda, since
1992, SADC Member States have signed 33 protocols and a number of declarations, charters, and memoranda of
understanding on various matters, ranging from trade, mining, and finance and investment to illicit drugs, forestry, and
shared watercourses, as well as the empowerment of women and young people. Of the 33 protocols, 25 have entered
into force after having been ratified by two-thirds of the signatory Member States. Undoubtedly, these commitments
and other initiatives have made a positive contribution towards improving the lives of SADC citizens.

The journey towards the attainment of SADC’s Vision, Mission, and Common Agenda has demanded periodic
reviews of regional strategic plans, including the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and the
Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation (SIPO). The RISDP serves
as a comprehensive development and implementation framework that has guided the integration agenda of SADC
since 2005. The decision to develop the RISDP was taken by the SADC Extraordinary Summit, held in March 2001,
in Windhoek, Namibia. The original 15-year strategic plan was approved by the Summit in 2003 and was launched in
March 2004 in Arusha, Tanzania. The revised RISDP 2015–2020 was approved by the SADC Extraordinary Summit,
held in April 2015, in Harare, Zimbabwe.

SIPO, meanwhile, has guided cooperation in the areas of politics, defence, and security in the region. This plan
was also approved by the 2003 Summit, held in Tanzania, as an enabling instrument for the implementation of other
regional policies, including the Protocol on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation as well as the RISDP and the
SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap (SISR). The objective of SIPO is to create a peaceful and stable political
and security environment through which the region can realise its objectives of socio-economic development, poverty
eradication, and regional integration. It was revised in 2012, to address several new challenges facing the region,
including piracy, climate change, human trafficking, and illegal immigration. These development frameworks have
been pivotal in guiding implementation of the integration agenda and the realisation of the Community’s objectives as
enshrined in the SADC Treaty.

The formulation of RISDP 2020–2030 is the culmination of a long and intensive process that began in June 2012,
following a decision by Member States to develop SADC Vision 2050. Subsequent meetings resulted in an extensive
consultative process and decisions to combine the process of formulating SADC Vision 2050 with a review of the
RISDP and SIPO. The Council of Ministers further directed the Secretariat, in August 2018, to align SADC Vision 2050
to the AU’s Agenda 2063 and resolved that the strategic plan for 2020–2030 should be termed RISDP 2020–2030.

RISDP 2020–2030 is a 10-year strategic plan. It represents an ambitious attempt to lay out how SADC can best move
towards SADC Vision 2050 over the next 10 years. This Vision for 2050 is grounded in SADC’s original Vision of “a
common future, a future in a regional community that will ensure economic wellbeing, improvement of the standards of
living and quality of life, freedom and social justice and peace and security for the peoples of Southern Africa”.

SADC Mission 2050, which is derived from the organisation’s Mission Statement, plays the important role of connecting
RISDP 2020–2030 to SADC Vision 2050, serving as a bridge between the detailed strategy that is RISDP 2020–
2030 and the aspirational document that is SADC Vision 2050. It does so by resolving to “consolidate SADC moving
towards 2050 by leveraging areas of excellence and implementing priorities to achieve sustainable and inclusive
socio-economic development, through good governance and durable peace and security in the region, as well as
the removal of all barriers to deeper integration; and guided by the purposes and principles of the SADC Treaty and
Agenda”.

The formulation of RISDP 2020–2030 was further guided by lessons learnt from RISDP 2015–2020, as well as an
updated SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis (see Annex 1). In particular, the strategic
priorities that underpin the RISDP were developed with a clear understanding of the strong position that Member States
are in to take advantage of existing strengths and opportunities; and of the steps and interventions that the region
will need to take to mitigate and, where possible, eliminate weaknesses and threats, during implementation of RISDP
2020–2030 and the SADC Common Agenda.

12 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

It is equally important to note that RISDP 2020–2030 has been formulated in a context in which the COVID-19 (coronavirus
disease 2019) pandemic continues to disrupt global economic activity across sectors. The pandemic, while posing
seemingly insurmountable developmental challenges, presents a unique opportunity for a deeper collective response
to the common challenges facing the region. Thus, RISDP 2020–2030 is indicative in nature. It provides direction
and outlines the required conditions that need to be in place for the region to achieve its regional integration and
development agenda. Despite not being prescriptive, it remains the reference point for all SADC Member States, and
their ownership of the strategy is paramount if SADC is to achieve the levels of regional coordination and integration to
which the organisation’s Vision 2050 aspires.

This document, therefore, provides a guiding framework for the implementation of SADC’s regional integration and
developmental agenda and programmes for the next 10 years. RISDP 2020–2030 builds on, and learns from, some
of the achievements and challenges experienced during the previous decade-and-a-half of implementation. It is the
product of consultative processes involving key stakeholders from Member States, including the private sector, civil
society, research institutions, and think tanks, as well as international cooperating partners (ICPs).

In a departure from previous regional strategic plans, RISDP 2020–2030 combines the interventions previously
presented separately under the Revised RISDP and SIPO. The decision to include peace, security, and governance
matters in RISDP 2020–2030 is an innovation, as previously peace and security matters were addressed only in the
SIPO. The SIPO, previously seen as a complementary document to the RISDP, has now been incorporated into RISDP
2020–2030, as the required foundation for ensuring that the preconditions necessary for achieving the other priorities
are maintained. RISDP 2020–2030, thus, covers six strategic priority areas:

1. The Foundation: Peace, Security, and Good Governance;

2. Pillar I: Industrial Development and Market Integration;
3. Pillar II: Infrastructure Development in Support of Regional Integration;
4. Pillar III: Social and Human Capital Development;
5. Cross-cutting issues including Gender, Youth, Environment and Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management; and
6. Strategic Management of RISDP 2020–2030.

In each of these priority areas, the RISDP provides strategic guidance in the form of actions, interventions, targets, and
timelines that, if implemented and met, will further deepen integration in SADC. The priority area of Strategic Management
of RISDP 2020–2030 is important, as it is an acknowledgement that SADC needs to make some fundamental changes
if the Community is to achieve its regional integration agenda. This priority area is closely linked to, and informed by,
the Comprehensive Institutional Review of SADC that was carried out in parallel to the development of the RISDP.

Given that SADC is part of the international community, in a global context, the attainment of the organisation’s plans
cannot be determined entirely by what it alone does. In many instances, the Community has found itself adjusting its
plans in response to external influences. The most recent external factor has been the global COVID-19 pandemic
that has put immense strain on SADC economies and healthcare systems, and will continue to do so for some time.
Many of the Community’s economic and development plans will have to be put on hold, re-prioritised, or amended,
while efforts and resources are being diverted to address the negative effects of this crisis. The pandemic has shown,
however, just how interconnected and interdependent the SADC region is, and accordingly, it has highlighted the
importance of a regional and coordinated approach and response to such crises, further emphasising the need for
regional communities – such as SADC and its institutions.

This document is divided into five chapters (not including this Introduction) that provide a comprehensive overview
of SADC’s journey to date and the status quo, and elaborate on the guiding framework for the implementation of
SADC’s regional integration agenda and programmes, which will constitute the first decade of the region’s combined
efforts towards the realisation of SADC Vision 2050. The document also spells out the key strategic priorities of SADC
during the period 2020–2030, along with the intended results and strategic management frameworks that will guide its
implementation. Following this Introduction, the RISDP is organised as follows:

Chapter 1 presents the status quo by way of key findings of SADC’s situational analysis. It outlines the global, continental,
and regional context in which the RISDP was developed, covering key issues such as trade, inequality, climate change,
and the environment. The chapter also looks at developments in technology, the geopolitics of migration, and SADC’s
development partner landscape.

13 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

Chapter 2 details the recorded progress and achievements of the Revised RISDP 2015–2020 in relation to its priority
areas of Industrial Development and Market Integration; Infrastructure Development; Social and Human Capital
Development; Peace and Security; and cross-cutting issues including Gender, Youth, and Climate Change.

Chapter 3 presents SADC Vision 2050, the organisation’s Mission Statement and the core guiding principles that
informed the development of RISDP 2020–2030. In this regard, the focus of the chapter is on elaborating the RISDP
Theory of Change and results chain that will guide the plan’s implementation. It articulates where the region intends to
go and how this change will be brought about.

Chapter 4 lays out the strategic priorities under SADC Vision 2050 and of RISDP 2020–2030, namely:

• The Foundation: Peace, Security, and Good Governance;

• Pillar I: Industrial Development and Market Integration;
• Pillar II: Infrastructure Development in Support of Regional Integration;
• Pillar III: Social and Human Capital Development; and
• Cross-cutting issues including Gender, Youth, Environment and Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management.

The intended outcomes and corresponding objectives in each of these strategic areas are outlined, in detail, for the
period 2020–2030.

Chapter 5 focuses on the Strategic Management of RISDP 2020–2030. It looks at the arrangements necessary to
oversee the implementation of the RISDP, including the legal, policy, and institutional frameworks, and details the
approach that will be taken by SADC towards the mobilisation of resources from diversified funding bases, its strategic
partnerships, and its engagement with non-state actors. The chapter also covers monitoring and evaluation, reporting,
and change management. It concludes by delineating the communication, visibility, and awareness approach to be
taken by SADC during the period 2020–2030.

14 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

 Chapter
1

Megatrends
...that are reshaping the way forward

Situational Analysis and Megatrends

1.1 Global Context
In the last five to ten years, global economic growth has been markedly sluggish, with contracting levels of global trade
and investment weighing heavily on advanced, emerging, and developing markets. For example, while the global
economy experienced some moderate growth in 2014 and 2015, several key economic indicators plummeted to 10-
year lows. According to the United Nations (UN), the global growth rate slowed to 2.3% in 2019, the lowest rate since
the global financial crisis of 2008–2009. The forecast was that the global economy would further contract by 2.5% in
2020. This forecast has since been overtaken by a global health crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic that
has disrupted all spheres of life.

The COVID-19 outbreak has already exacerbated the anxieties and uncertainties that would otherwise have underpinned
the trajectory of the world economy in 2020. The pandemic is expected to have negative effects on the global economy
in the medium to long term, and is likely to precipitate a slower growth rate than anticipated as well as a global
recession, with growth levels expected to fall short of the established 2.5% threshold. Despite measures aimed at
containing the spread of the virus taken by governments around the world, the global economic growth forecast is
expected to change drastically, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicting a 3% contraction in global gross
domestic product (GDP) in 2020, resulting in a global recession or depression, depending on the scenario that ends
up playing out and the effectiveness of recovery policies.

COVID-19 has also impacted progress towards various UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), creating an
adverse external environment, with anticipated output disruptions and weaker than planned growth. It is in this context
that RISDP 2020–2030 has been developed, bearing in mind the fact that a sustainable long-term strategy requires
cognisance of the disruptive potential of such disasters in the future. There is no doubt that SADC’s regional integration
efforts will be frustrated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the world economy forecast to descend into recession. A
long-term approach towards detecting and responding appropriately to emerging threats, through early warning and
mitigation systems, is essential, which the COVID-19 pandemic has only further emphasised.

In response to the disruptive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, SADC has taken the following actions at the regional
level. It has: (a) established national emergency operation centres; (b) embraced the technology of virtual conferencing,
with face-to-face meetings having been suspended; (c) re-established the Technical Committee for Coordinating and
Monitoring the Implementation of the SADC Protocol on Health; (d) sought to contain the spread of the virus and
mitigate its negative socio-economic effects through the regional mobilisation of resources; (e) implemented the SADC
Pooled Procurement Services system for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies; (f) endorsed measures to facilitate
cross-border transport operations throughout SADC; (g) collaborated in a concerted manner with the United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO); and (h) enhanced regular monitoring of, and reporting
on, COVID-19 and its effects on the SADC economy.

1.1.1 Trends in Trade and Industrialisation

The SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap 2015–2063 aims to promote industrialisation, enhance
competitiveness, and deepen regional integration through structural transformation, leading to an increase in
manufactured goods and exports. It is important to note that international experience has shown that the extent to
which structural transformation takes place in a country is a key factor differentiating successful countries from their
unsuccessful peers. It has been shown over the past two decades that countries (notably in Europe and East Asia)
that have managed to reduce poverty and became wealthy nations have done so by heavily investing in supportive

15 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

infrastructure, and diversifying away from dependence on primary commodities, such as agriculture, into high-value
manufactured products. Export-led industrialisation processes that took place among the “Asian Tigers”, such as Hong
Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea, between 1970 and 2005, happened on the back of government strategic
supportive interventions and concerted efforts aimed at developing value chains, starting in light manufacturing
sectors such as the agro-processing and leather industries. Over the past 10 years, Malaysia has improved its global
competiveness on the back of comprehensive local value-addition packages of competitiveness enhancement
measures. In summary, international experience has revealed that investing in facilitative infrastructure and promoting
value-added light manufacturing and value-added exports contributes to industrialisation and to mitigating the adverse
effects of export instability and high terms of trade variations due to high dependency on raw materials.

International trade patterns over the last few years have been characterised first by lacklustre growth (2012–2014),
then by a downturn (2015 and 2016), and finally by a strong rebound (2017 and 2018). From 2012 to 2014, the value of
international trade grew at a rate of less than 2% per year, before declining by 10% in 2015 and by about 3% in 2016.
It then rebounded strongly, growing at 10% in 2017. Amidst the escalation and de-escalation of global trade tensions,
particularly between the United States (U.S.) and China, year-on-year growth in global trade reached its lowest levels
in 10 years at 0.3% in 2019, representing a sharp decline from 3.9% in 2018. Trade tensions extended beyond the two
countries, affecting international supply chains, particularly in the electronics and automobile sectors. Unending Brexit
deliberations, charges of protectionism levelled against the European Union (EU) and the U.S., trade tensions between
Japan and the Republic of Korea, and Indian tariff complaints have fuelled greater uncertainty about the future. Fig. 1
provides a picture of forecasted trends in global trade.

Conversely, a rising global export market share has provided many countries with positive returns, as businesses
seek inputs from countries unaffected directly by escalating tariffs, representing an opportunity for the SADC region.
Indeed, developing countries experienced positive GDP growth rates in 2019, as they are not well integrated into
global trading networks. Global trade rates were initially expected to experience a modest level of recovery to 2.3%
in 2020 and 3.2% in 2021. These estimates were made against the backdrop of persisting trade tensions, which were
expected not to accelerate any further, and to be aided by the easing of tensions between China and the U.S. The
COVID-19 pandemic, however, will have far-reaching adverse effects on world trade, with the production capacities of
the central manufacturing hub (China) dwindling in the first quarter of 2020.

In this regard, the International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organisation (WTO) forecast reductions in world trade
this year, ranging from 11% (IMF) to up to 32% (based on one WTO scenario).

Fig. 1. WTO forecast: The greater trade collapse 2020 (2015=100)

140 Merchandise trade

Optimistic scenario
130
Pessimistic scenario
120 Trend 1990-2008
Trend 2011-2018
110

100

90

80

70

60

50

40
2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

Source: World Trade Organisation (WTO). (2020). WTO forecast: The greater trade collapse 2020 (2015=100) [Press release]. Notes: 1. Trade
volumes are an average of exports and imports. 2. Figures for 2020 and 2021 are projections.

16 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

1.1.2 Persistently High Global Inequality
While global wealth grew modestly to $360.6 trillion, with wealth per adult recorded at $70,850, in 2019, more than 50%
of adults have a net worth of less than $10,000. Furthermore, almost 1% of adults are millionaires, who have a collective
share of 44% of global wealth. It is, however, noteworthy that in 2019, rising inequality levels eased, and the collective
wealth of the top 1% of the world has dropped below the 2016 peak. Since 2017, global wealth rates have grown at
5.9%, while wealth per adult grew at 3.8%. Notwithstanding this modest ascent in wealth, inequality levels between
individuals remain high, and this is due to the discrepancies in average wealth across countries. Indeed, in 2019, the
bottom 50% of adults owned a mere 1% of total global wealth, while the top 10% owned as much as 82%. Fig. 2 below
presents a synopsis of world wealth inequality trends in 2000–2019.

Fig. 2. World wealth inequality trends, 2000–2019

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Gini Share of top 10% Share of top 5% Share of top 1%

Source: Credit Suisse. (2020). Global Wealth Data Book 2019.

1.1.3 Climate Change and the Environment

As economic growth over the last few decades has been rapid and unevenly spread, it is widely accepted that an
insurmountable toll is being visited upon the environment and natural resource base of the planet. The need to avoid
the acute impacts of global warming is becoming increasingly exigent, with the World Meteorological Organisation
(WMO) projecting a temperature rise of 3°C to 5°C by 2100. In 2018, 91% of all major disasters and 77% of economic
losses from natural disasters were attributed to extreme weather events. Human activity has adversely contributed
towards major environmental trends, which will increasingly take the form of inter alia, diminishing biodiversity levels, the
degradation of air and land, a paucity of water, marine pollution, and deforestation. Currently, over 90% of the world’s
population resides in areas where the air pollution levels exceed the World Health Organisation (WHO) threshold.

It is further projected that by 2030, the population living under conditions of poverty will rise by 122 million, as the
agricultural sector experiences heavy reverses. Indeed, the effects of climate change on food and nutrition security
will negatively impact 70% of the population in Africa, Asia, and Asia-Pacific, should the current debilitating trajectory
persist. Since the SADC region is equally prone to these challenges, mitigating strategies must be developed.
According to the annual WMO statement on the status of the global climate in 2013, the average global land and
ocean surface temperature in 2013 was 0.48°C higher than the average from 1961 to 1990. These increasingly warm
temperatures have had a severe impact on the ecosystem. For example, Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania,
often regarded as Africa’s barometer of climate change, has lost almost all of its famous snow cover, thus impacting
the surrounding farming community that relies on its abundant fresh water. In fact, the total area covered by snow on
Mount Kilimanjaro has decreased six-fold from 12 square kilometres in 1900 to two square kilometres in 2000, due to
the effects of climate change.

17 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

1.1.4 Technological Revolution and Innovation
The UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets out an important role for science, technology, and innovation
in the sustainable transformation of economies, in particular through the harnessing of frontier technologies. These
technologies are underpinned by various emerging features, including: big data analytics, the Internet of things, artificial
intelligence, 3D printing, advances in biotechnology, nanotechnology, the development of smart grids, and drones,
as well as the increasing possibility of the use of small-scale satellites by developing countries to track environmental
degradation and factors affecting agriculture.

Increasingly, the discourse of technological advancement in the immediate future has been dominated by the emerging
and sweeping current of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), which is being implemented in advanced economies,
and also being embraced in emerging and developing markets. Invariably, the prerequisite for the realisation of 4IR
is the need to develop appropriate skills related to information technology (IT). Furthermore, there will be a need to
revamp and enhance the accessibility of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure related to
broadband and cyber-physical systems that are capable of controlling and tracking sensors, as well as advanced
manufacturing and robotics under the direction of well-developed concomitant architecture. As well, there will be a
crucial need for investment in research and development to boost innovation, including policy-level initiatives to reform
existing frameworks with a view to embracing and regulating the fast-emerging “smart” environment.

1.1.5 The Geopolitics of Migration

The migration question has dominated global discourse on development politics. A number of displacement events
have occurred due to ongoing conflicts, leading to a surge of migrants. The number of international migrants increased
from 153 million in 1990 to approximately 272 million in 2019, with the largest number of migrants (82 million) flocking
to European shores. In 2019, the total number of migrants constituted 3.5% of the world population, which makes the
migration question crucial to most countries around the world.

Poorly managed migration can result in resentment, discrimination, human rights violations, illicit criminal activity,
exploitation, and social unrest. Hence, migration has become a topical issue, with Western countries experiencing
a rise in right-wing populism following the refugee crisis of 2015. Over the past two years, UN Member States have
developed two important instruments, namely the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration and the
Global Compact on Refugees. These instruments are an acknowledgement of the need to safeguard the rights of
refugees and conflict migrants, and for regional cooperation to disband the criminal syndicates engaged in human
trafficking.

Policymakers are further impelled to focus on sustainably addressing the question of human mobility; i.e. guaranteeing
the careful management of recipient country perceptions and relations, to ensure that the benefits of migration
(such as scarce and critical labour, job creation by entrepreneurs, and tax contributions) are fully harnessed, while
important benefits (such as skills and knowledge transference, and remittances) are also realised by countries of
departure. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has complicated the situation further, with drastic reductions in the flow
of remittances as migrant workers have become unemployed or been unable to work due to industry disruptions and
social distancing measures. This will disproportionately affect sub-Saharan Africa.

1.2 Continental Context

SADC is part of the wider continental and global communities, and as such, it is one of the key building blocks of
integration at the continental level. This makes it imperative to ensure that all the organisation’s strategies, policies,
programmes, and activities are being implemented with a view to contributing towards the continental ideals espoused
in the AU’s Agenda 2063 – the blueprint and master plan that aims to deliver inclusive and sustainable development
on the continent. It encapsulates Africa’s aspirations for the future and identifies flagship programmes to boost Africa’s
economic growth and development for the achievement of rapid continental transformation. Agenda 2063 identifies
key activities, through the medium of 10-year implementation plans, to ensure that it delivers both quantitative and
qualitative transformational outcomes for Africa’s people.

In addition to Agenda 2063, the 1991 Abuja Treaty establishing the African Economic Community (AEC) sets out a
clear blueprint for regional economic cooperation and integration, and a roadmap towards the establishment of the
AEC in a post-colonial continental context. Regional economic communities (RECs), such as SADC, are designated

18 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

as building blocks for realising the economic and political integration of Africa. The treaty opts for consolidation of
integration at the regional level, with a view to extending it across the continent. In accordance with Article 88 of the
Abuja Treaty, the African Economic Community must be established mainly through the coordination, harmonisation,
and progressive integration of the activities of the RECs. SADC is one of the eight RECs recognised by the AU and
has contributed significantly to the continental integration agenda. SADC has higher than average REC scores on free
movement and financial integration, according to the 2016 Regional Integration Index.

At the global level, SADC’s development agenda is guided by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. In September
2015, the UN General Assembly agreed to set the world on a path towards sustainable development through its
adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, comprising of 17 aspirational global goals with 169 targets
across them. These 17 goals represent a global consensus on the key common challenges facing humanity and
provide a framework for cooperation in development. Specifically, the goals provide a framework for shared action
“for people, planet and prosperity”, to be implemented by “all countries and all stakeholders, acting in collaborative
partnership”. The SDGs encompass four key pillars, namely Social Inclusion (Goals 1–7), Economic Growth (Goals
8–11), Environmental Responsibility (Goals 12–15), and Governance (Goals 16 and 17). Through the implementation
of the Revised RISDP, SADC programmes have been contributing to this Agenda for Sustainable Development. This is
further reflected in the specific objectives of the RISDP as the following shows:

a) Social Inclusion (Goals 1–7)

SADC programmes addressing this pillar have been geared towards improved monitoring and analysis of poverty
trends in the region; increased access to quality and relevant education and skills; increased access to quality health
and HIV and AIDS services and commodities; reduced social vulnerability in the context of food and nutrition security;
enhanced gender equality and equity; and enhanced youth development and empowerment.

b) Economic Growth (Goals 8–11)

SADC programmes addressing this pillar have been geared towards enhanced employment creation, labour relations,
labour market information and productivity; increased regional value chains and value-addition for agricultural and non-
agricultural products; an enhanced macroeconomic environment; improved financial market systems and monetary
cooperation; improved intra-regional and foreign direct investment; and increased intra-African trade. In addition,
SADC has also been working towards the improved involvement of the private sector in regional integration; harmonised
strategies, policies, and regulatory frameworks for the development and operation of cross-border infrastructure and
services; enhanced integrated infrastructure and networks; increased competitiveness and liberalisation of regional
markets for energy, ICT, transport, and tourism; and enhanced application of science, technology and innovation.

c) Environmental Responsibility (Goals 12–15)

SADC programmes addressing this pillar have been geared towards enhanced sustainable management and
conservation of natural resources, the environment, and plant and animal genetic resources.

d) Governance (Goals 16 and 17)

SADC programmes addressing this pillar have been geared towards enhanced regional peacebuilding; enhanced
conflict prevention, resolution, and management; enhanced disaster risk management; enhanced regional collective
defence; enhanced regional early warning systems; enhanced cross-border security; enhanced training in peace
support operations; and enhanced migration and refugee management.

1.2.1 Continental Industrial, Trade, and Economic Growth Rates

Africa’s trade is estimated to be a paltry 3% of global trade, according to the WTO in 2018. This is due primarily to the
inability of most African economies to add value to their primary commodities. Consequently, the share of manufactured
exports in the continent’s total exports is below 12%, and this share has remained relatively stagnant over the last 10
years. The reason for this low share is that Africa’s exports have remained largely dominated by traditional commodities,
particularly oil, minerals, and agro-products. An analysis of the 54 African countries’ trade flows reveals that around
seven of the countries depend on oil and gas exports for over 70% of their total merchandise export revenues. Nearly
half of the African countries depend on a single non-fuel primary commodity for over 50% of their export earnings,
while over half depend on only up to three primary commodities for at least 50% of their foreign exchange earnings.
Furthermore, efficiency of value chains depends on supportive infrastructure that facilitates competitiveness. Yet, the

19 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

infrastructure gap remains big in Africa and in the SADC region. The African Development Bank (AfDB) estimates that
the continent’s infrastructure needs (including those of SADC) are between $130–170 billion a year, with an annual
financing gap of $68–108 billion.

Between 2000 and 2018, the continent’s annual GDP growth rate was 4.6%. In 2019, economic growth was 3.4%,
similar to the real GDP growth rate for the previous year. Although this suggests stability, the rate is below the 5%
average noted for the region over the past decade. One of the reasons for the slower than expected growth has been
the moderate expansion of the continent’s “big five” countries – Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa –
whose joint growth rate averaged 3.1%, against an average of 4% for the rest of the continent. Growth forecasts prior
to the COVID-19 pandemic were 3.9% in 2020 and 4.1% in 2021. A recent AU report with two scenarios – S1 and S2
(realistic and pessimistic respectively) – estimates negative economic growth of -0.8% in the realistic scenario and
-1.1% in the pessimistic scenario, with weighted average negative growth of -0.9% in 2020, as shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Results of impacts (declines), and estimated growth in 2020

Projected growth S1 impacts S2 impacts Medium scenario

in 2020 (Decrease compared (Decrease compared impacts
(Before the to the value to the value (Decrease compared
COVID-19 crisis) in 2020) in 2020) to the value in 2020)

GDP growth (%) 3.4% -0.8% -1.1% -0.9%

COVID-19 impact in
percentage points (pp) - - 4.18 pp - 4.51 pp - 4.49 pp
of Africa’s GDP
Source: African Union Commission (AUC). (2020).

Notwithstanding the above, the continent’s growth rate is marginally higher than the world average, which was 3%
in 2019, and also higher than that of the advanced economies, which stood at 1.7%. However, despite the growth
experienced by the continent, it is sadly evident that it has lacked inclusivity. Specifically, only about a third of countries
achieved inclusive growth by succeeding in reducing both poverty and inequality. In fact, although poor populations
derived some benefit from the continent’s unprecedented economic growth between 2000 and 2016, their consumption
growth has not been fast enough to make a real and sustained impact on poverty, which decreased at a much slower
pace on the African continent than elsewhere in the developing world. Fig. 3 below provides a comparison of Africa’s
GDP growth with the rest of the world.

Fig. 3. Africa vs. world: GDP growth

Percent

10

China
6

World Emerging and developed economies (excluding Africa, China and India)
4

Africa
0
2010-15 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
(estimated) (projected) (projected)

Source: African Development Bank (AfDB). (2020). African economic outlook 2020: Developing Africa’s workforce for the region.

20 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

It is also important to note that the continent’s estimated growth rate does not take account of significant cross-regional
and cross-country variation. East Africa is the continent’s fastest growing region, with average growth estimated at 5%
in 2019, while North Africa was the second fastest with a rate of 4.1% in the same year. The growth rate of West Africa
was 3.7% in 2019, an increase from 3.4% in the previous year; while Central Africa was estimated to have grown at
3.2% in 2019, an increase from the 2.7% growth rate in the previous year. Of concern, though, is the growth rate of
SADC, which decreased from 1.2% to 0.7%, due, to a significant extent, to the devastation caused by cyclones Idai and
Kenneth. Domestic demand has been the key driver of the continent’s growth over the past decade, responsible for
69% of the annual growth recorded between 2000 and 2018. It is notable that this demand is beginning to demonstrate
a movement towards more processed goods. Specifically, the African continent’s demand for processed food is
growing 1.5 times faster than the global average, with demand for many other products, such as vehicles, metal
manufactures, and industrial machinery, also seeing expansion above the global average.

1.2.2 Macroeconomic Stability

The region’s average annual inflation rate increased to 18.6% in 2019, up from 7.8% in 2018, though there were
wide variations in Member States’ performance. Central banks in Africa have been proactive in their management of
monetary policy and reacted by adjusting interest rates to manage domestic demand. In countries with downward
inflationary pressures, interest rates were reduced to encourage investment and spur growth. Given the unprecedented
economic impact that COVID-19 is likely to have on the global economy over the short to medium term, central banks
are expected to maintain their use of the available monetary policy tools to soften the negative consequences for the
economy as far as possible. However, given their current sovereign debt-to-GDP ratios, most African countries do not
have much fiscal room to manoeuvre.

Notwithstanding the above, fiscal balances across the continent improved in the last two years, with the weighted
average deficit-to-GDP ratio seeing a decrease from 5.9% in 2017 to 4.8% in 2019, stemming primarily from the
stabilisation of commodity prices, as well as higher tax and non-tax revenues for large natural resource exporters. The
revenue-to-GDP ratio saw an average increase of 0.3% for the continent’s countries. However, countries that export
oil saw gains slightly above 1%. Unfortunately, with the effects of COVID-19 on commodity prices and the pressure
that the lockdown measures in many countries have placed on sub-Saharan African countries’ tax bases and other
revenue sources, not to mention the significant capital that has been needed to prepare public health systems, these
gains will likely be lost.

1.2.3 Poverty Reduction Trajectory

There have been some positive developments in terms of poverty reduction in Africa. For example, citizens across the
continent have become healthier and better nourished, youngsters are attending school in much greater numbers, and
the poverty rate has seen some decline. Even so, based on current trends, the continent remains off track in meeting
the target of eradicating extreme poverty by 2030. The extreme poverty rate (weighted by population) is projected to
fall from 33.4% in 2018 to only 24.7% in 2030 – still far above the 3% SDG target. As highlighted in Fig. 4, more than
half the world’s extreme poor live in Africa. Furthermore, the number of extreme poor is projected to fall only slightly,
from 429.1 million in 2018 to 421.2 million in 2030; while poverty rates in all regions but North Africa are expected to
remain well above the 3% SDG target.

21 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

Fig. 4. Share of extreme poor: 1990 vs. 2015 – “More than half of the world’s poor live in Africa”

a. Share of world’s extreme poor, by region, 1990 b. Share of world’s extreme poor, by region, 2015

0% 1% 6%
1%
56% 4%
52%
15%
3%

29%

28%

1%
3% 1%

East Asia and Pacific Latin America and the Caribbean South Asia Rest of the world

Europe and Central Asia Middle East and North Africa Sub-Saharan Africa

Source: World Bank. (2019). Accelerating poverty reduction in Africa.

1.2.4 Megatrends and Opportunities

The African continent has experienced significant change, and will continue to do so in the decades to come, even as
the pace of change accelerates. Five megatrends have been identified at the continental and global levels, as some
of the key drivers of new, but highly significant, opportunities and challenges for firms seeking to initiate, stabilise, and
grow their businesses. These include: demographic growth, rapid urbanisation, climate change, the Fourth Industrial
Revolution, and shifting terms of trade to emerging economies in the East. The main risks and opportunities associated
with these megatrends are summarised in Table 2 below.

Table 2. Main risks and opportunities associated with continental and global megatrends

Megatrend Main risks Main opportunities

“Shifting wealth” and the • Competition from other emerging markets • Diversification of the African exports basket
rise of emerging economies • Creating one-dollar jobs • Reallocation of low-skilled manufacturing
• New “scramble for Africa” from Asia to Africa
• Environmental degradation • Attracting foreign direct investment into
Africa
• New sources of development finance
• Skills transfer
New Industrial Revolution • Automation • Reduction in trade costs, especially for
• Re-shoring manufacturing to advanced small firms
economies • Creation of new niches and markets
• Unprepared skill and technological base • Use of new technologies to improve
• Illicit financial flows access to public services and quality of
public policies

22 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

 Megatrend Main risks Main opportunities

Demographic transition • High youth unemployment and higher • Growth of Africa’s workforce
informal sector employment • Greater savings, consumption and GDP
• Increased pressure on public services and growth due to increased labour supply and
environmental resources wealth creation
• Migration and brain drain • Growth of an African middle class
Africa’s urban transition • Increased urban poverty and inequality • Growth of an “urban” middle class and
• Inequality between rural and urban areas demand for high value-added goods, food
• Urban congestion and urban infrastructure
• More air pollution and inefficient use of • Generating economies of scale and social
water and other natural resources innovation
• More sustainable use of resources thanks
to efficient sharing of infrastructure in high
density areas
Climate change • Natural disasters, droughts and changing • Expansion of new green sectors
weather patterns • Higher job creation in green sectors
• Loss of livelihoods and economic activities
Source: African Union (AU) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). (2019). Africa’s development dynamics:
Achieving productive transformation.

Considering the vast potential that these megatrends hold for the continent, it is critical for Africa to ensure that it is
prepared to exploit them, particularly from the perspectives of policy, infrastructure and leadership.

1.2.5 Risks and Key Challenges

The continent’s growth has taken place in an external environment that can only be described as challenging. In
particular, annual growth in global trade volumes decreased from 5.7% in 2017 to 1.1% in 2019, with metals and food
– two of Africa’s major export commodities – experiencing the greatest slowdown. Extreme weather events – such as
the devastating storms and floods that affected SADC in the first half of 2019 – the expected return of El Niño conditions
to East Africa, and the devastation caused by locust swarms in the region could likely result in severe droughts and
suppressed agricultural output and growth. Furthermore, a number of countries will be holding elections over the
next two years, and a risk exists that socio-political considerations may lead to increases in public expenditure that,
if not planned prudently, may undermine commitments to those countries’ fiscal consolidation. Risks associated with
terrorism, conflict, insurgency, and social unrest also present a significant challenge and may weigh on economic
activity in some countries.

With respect to COVID-19, the continent must continue to be proactive and vigilant in its own battle against the
pandemic, with some projections for the potential losses to economies ranging between $90 billion and $200 billion.
While the continent will likely be better placed to tackle this deadly virus in the coming years, through greater investment
in healthcare, infrastructure, and awareness spurred by comparative research and the negative experiences of
global competitors, the fact remains that the continent, with its significantly high proportions of most-at-risk immuno-
compromised citizens – a legacy of untreated HIV and long-term undernutrition – will need to seriously factor in the
pandemic’s impact on the implementation of its development agenda over the short to medium term at the very least.

1.3 SADC Socio-Economic Context

1.3.1 The SADC Economy
In 2018, the GDP of SADC was $721.3 billion, and the region registered a growth rate of 1.8% – a decline from the
2.1% rate of 2017. The manufacturing sector experienced growth of 4.3% in 2018, as opposed to 4.6% in 2017. The
manufacturing sector is considered a significant vector in the realisation of SADC’s industrialisation growth in the
coming years. The overall economic growth of the region has been sluggish on the back of the 2008–2009 global
financial crisis; however, the manufacturing sector has seen some accelerated growth rates since 2015. The GDP and
manufacturing growth rates in SADC for the 2008–2018 period are illustrated in Fig. 5 which follows.

23 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

Fig. 5. GDP growth rates (%) for SADC countries

10.0

8.0

6.0
Growth rate (%)

4.0

2.0

0.0

-2.0

Manufacturing SADC-Average
-4.0
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Year

Source: Southern African Development Community (SADC). (2018). Selected economic and social indicators.

The SADC region ranked 121 for ease of doing business in 2019, with an average score of 57.25. The region’s top-ranked
countries were Mauritius, South Africa, and Botswana, ranked 20, 82, and 86 respectively. Conversely, Madagascar,
Angola, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) were the lowest ranked at 161, 173, and 184 respectively. The
SADC region’s Ease of Doing Business scores on the Doing Business topics for 2019 are shown in Fig. 6 below.

Fig. 6. Spider diagram of Ease of Doing Business in SADC in 2019

Starting a Business (78.58)

Resolving Insolvency (34.85) 100 Dealing with Construction Permits (63.89)

80

60

40
Enforcing Contracts (47.59) Getting Electricity (57.62)
20

Trading across Borders (61.46) Registering Property (56.22)

Paying Taxes (69.10) Getting Credit (51.88)

Protecting Minority Investors (51.36)

Source: Doing Business database. (2019). Ease of Doing Business scores on Doing Business topics.

In terms of inflation, the SADC region experienced an 18.6% annual increase between 2018 and 2019, while month-on-
month inflation increased by 2.3% between November and December 2019. Four SADC Member States recorded the
highest double-digit rates – Zimbabwe (607.1%), Angola (16.6%), Malawi (11.5%), and Zambia (10.3%). The lowest
inflation rate was recorded in Mauritius and Seychelles at 1.6%. Apart from Seychelles, every other SADC Member
State recorded month-on-month inflation increases.

24 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

The region is currently grappling with rising levels of unemployment amongst youth, which stood at 25.1% on average
in 2017, with South Africa (57.4%), Eswatini (54.8%), and Namibia (45.5%) recording the highest figures among SADC
Member States. The ratio of male to female youth unemployment was highest in Mauritius (1.30) and Tanzania (1.22).

Table 3 shows other key indicators that provide a further glimpse of SADC’s economy in recent years.

Table 3. Key economic indicators for SADC

Indicators 2017 2018

Average government revenue, excluding grants as percentage of GDP 23.0% 24.1%

Average overall fiscal balance including grants -4.3% -3.1%

Average government debt (% of GDP) 52.4% 56.1%

Source: Southern African Development Community (SADC). (2020). SADC facts and figures [online].

1.3.2 Status of Industrialisation and Regional Integration

The SADC region has made significant inroads towards regional integration. However, the region still falls short in terms
of the main regional integration indices of the Africa Regional Integration Report. These indices are: Trade Integration,
Regional Infrastructure, Productive Integration, Free Movement of People, and Financial and Macroeconomic Integration.
In 2016, the average REC score in this regard was 0.470 on a scale of 0 (low) to 1 (high). SADC achieved an above
average score of 0.531 and did well in the areas of Regional Infrastructure, Free Movement of People, and Financial and
Macroeconomic Integration, but it continues to fall short in the dimensions of Trade Integration and Productive Integration.
(The latter dimension is measured using three indicators: share of intra-regional intermediate goods exports, share of
intra-regional intermediate goods imports, and ranking on the Merchandise Trade Complementarity Index.)

In line with the observed situation at the continental level, a majority of SADC Member States are dependent on
primary commodities as a source of export earnings. This state of affairs means that these countries remain vulnerable
to the adverse terms-of-trade shocks usually associated with commodities such as oil, mineral resources, and
primary agricultural products. This vulnerability was evident, when oil prices plummeted to negative values due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. Continued dependence on commodity exports has led SADC Member States to seek structural
transformation of their economies through industrialisation.

Using the performance of the manufacturing sector as a proxy indicator of the status of industrialisation in SADC is
revealing. The sector’s performance during the period 2008–2018 has been weak. Measured in terms of its relative
contribution to GDP, the manufacturing sector has largely been stagnant over the past 10 years and remains below the
levels achieved in 2008 and 2009. The share of the manufacturing sector in relation to overall GDP has been declining
marginally since 2009, when it stood at 13.1%, reaching its lowest point at 10.9% in 2013. The post-2013 period has
shown a slight recovery, with the sector gradually increasing its share in relation to GDP to 11.9% in 2018.

In 2018, SADC’s goods exports stood at $154 billion, while goods imports totalled $149 billion. Intra-regionally, SADC
exported $37.3 billion and imported $35.3 billion worth of goods. Intra-regional exports as a proportion of the total
increased from 15.2% to 19.5% in the 10 years between 2008 and 2018, while the share of intra-regional imports rose
from 17.5% to 19.1% in the same period. This shows a consistent, albeit miniscule, increase in the share of intra-SADC
trade in the region’s overall trade. The negotiation of the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) and its alignment with the
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are steps in the right direction and will open up the potential for SADC
to realise benefits in its own Free Trade Area (FTA), which was established in 2008. SADC has, however, made few
inroads towards establishing a Customs Union, Single Market, and Economic and Monetary Union, and only seven
countries have applied the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons.

The steps required to deepen regional integration in SADC include inter alia: implementing strategies with regard to
industrialisation; improving the supportive environment for industrialisation in terms of hard and soft infrastructure;
removing non-tariff barriers (NTBs) to trade; improving the business environment in terms of policy and legal frameworks;
consolidating the harmonisation of the financial sub-sectors; and ratifying the Protocol on Trade in Services.

25 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

1.3.3 SADC Population and Migration Trends
The population of the SADC region in 2018 was approximately 345.2 million people, having grown by 2.5% since 2017.
The SADC countries with the largest share of inhabitants were the DRC (26.6%), South Africa (16.7%), and Tanzania
(15.7%). It is estimated that 3% of the SADC population (around 8 million people) constitutes the region’s migrant
stock. South Africa has the highest number of migrants from within the region, with the country hosting 58.4% of all
SADC migrants. There is a significant flow of migrant workers from countries such as Malawi, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and
Eswatini to Botswana and South Africa, particularly in traditional sectors such as mining, but also in other increasingly
prominent sectors such as finance and IT.

1.3.4 Climate Change, and Food and Nutrition Security

Climate change and extreme weather events in SADC have adversely affected the region for the last 15 years and will
become increasingly severe over the next few decades. Fig. 7 below compares the changing temperature in cropping
areas in 2015–2016, juxtaposed with a 15-year period.

Fig. 7. Changing temperature in cropping areas in 2015–2016, juxtaposed with a 15-year period

-2.0 -1.6 -1.2 -0.8 -0.4 0.0 0.4 0.8 1.2 1.6 2.0

Change in TG year (deg C)

Source: Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). (2018). State of food security and nutrition in the world.

In the 2018–2019 rainfall season, areas in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
experienced a severe drought, having received their lowest levels of rain since 1981. Unpredictable rainfall affected
crop production, prompting Angola, Botswana, and Namibia to declare drought emergencies. Extreme weather events

26 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

also brought about flooding in several SADC countries, while tropical storms and cyclones exacerbated the situation
in Comoros, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.

These extreme weather events have had undesirable impacts on food security. Based on the available data from
13 Member States, it has been determined that 41.2 million people were food insecure in 2019–2020. The region’s
food insecurity increased by 7.4% compared to levels recorded during the 2016–2017 El Niño-induced drought. The
countries that have experienced the highest escalations in food insecurity are the DRC (80%), Mozambique (85%),
Eswatini (90%), Zimbabwe (128%), and Zambia (144%). In the SADC region, a high number of children suffer from
malnutrition, as their diet is cereal based and bereft of vital micronutrients such as vitamin A, zinc, iron, folate, and
iodine. Indeed, in seven Member States, the number of children under the age of five considered too thin for their
heights (wasting rate) was 5% in 2019. Conversely, the region also grapples with a prevalence of overweight and
obese people, primarily in four Member States, namely Botswana, Comoros, Seychelles, and South Africa.

27 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

 Chapter
2

Progress
and achievements...

Progress and Achievements of the Revised RISDP 2015–2020

The progress and achievements of the Revised RISDP 2015–2020 are presented here, under each of the plan’s priority
areas, namely:

• Industrial Development and Market Integration;

• Infrastructure Development;
• Social and Human Capital Development;
• Peace and Security; and
• Cross-cutting issues including Gender, Youth, and Climate Change.

2.1 Industrial Development and Market Integration

Under the Revised RISDP, the SADC region sought to facilitate (a) industrial development; (b) trade and financial liberalisation
and integration; (c) macroeconomic stability and convergence; and (d) enhanced investment opportunities. The specific
strategic intent was to increase value-addition and agricultural and non-agricultural regional value chains; consolidate
the SADC Free Trade Area; enhance the macroeconomic environment; improve financial market systems and monetary
cooperation through the Finance and Investment Protocol; enhance intra-regional and foreign investment opportunities;
increase intra-African trade and private sector engagement in regional integration; and deepen regional integration.

Achievements and progress in the various areas were mixed.

Share of manufacturing output in relation to gross domestic product: In terms of progress towards industrialisation
outcomes, as measured by the share of manufacturing output in relation to total GDP, the region has not performed
well during the period under review. The manufacturing sector’s share in relation to GDP increased only slightly, from
an average of 10.3% in 2013 to 11.9% in 2018. However, the manufacturing sector in a few individual SADC Member
States performed well, recording growth of above 5%, during the period 2015–2020.

Level of diversification: The structures of SADC economies remain undiversified, with growing natural resource-
based sectors and a stagnant industrial sector. Natural resource-based sectors (in particular agriculture and mining)
account for an average of over 25% of GDP, while the manufacturing sector’s contribution to GDP has remained at
around 13%. Since recording an average of 16% in 2001, the manufacturing sector’s contribution to total GDP has
been trending downwards in the region.

Low level of women’s participation in industrialisation: Despite the low levels of industrialisation, the period under
review saw the successful formulation of policy instruments and frameworks that are expected to produce results in the
next 10 years. These are highlighted below:

Efforts to advance the empowerment of women in the SADC region include the revision of the SADC Protocol on Gender
and Development. All Member States have taken steps towards domesticating aspects of the Protocol and integrating
its provisions into legislation, public policies, and programmes and continue to make strides towards the empowerment
of women in the region. Despite this, women still face difficulties, for example, when accessing financial services across
different economic sectors in the region, which limits their ability to benefit from the SADC Industrialisation Strategy.
Also, in most parts of the region, women are at a disadvantage due to their exclusion from value chains and their limited
capacity to take advantage of productive opportunities within these.

28 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

To build upon efforts by Member States and to spur the economic empowerment of women in the region, as well as to address
the most glaring gaps in this regard in key economic sectors, SADC recently developed the Regional Multidimensional
Women’s Economic Empowerment Programme (RMD-WEEP), which was approved by the Ministers of Women Affairs
and Gender in Windhoek in May 2019. The RMD-WEEP aims to broaden the impact of economic empowerment of women
through the identification of concrete actions at the regional and national levels that will accelerate realisation of the
benefits of regional integration and industrialisation among both women and men in the region. Implementing the RMD-
WEEP at national level will promote women’s economic empowerment and gender-responsive development in order to
contribute to social inclusion and justice by 2030.

SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap (2015–2063): This strategy, which was approved in April 2015,
aims to promote industrialisation, enhance competitiveness, and deepen regional integration through structural
transformation. Through this strategy, SADC aims to progressively move from a factor-driven to investment-driven, then
to efficiency-driven growth trajectory, and ultimately, to a high-growth trajectory driven by knowledge, innovation, and
business sophistication. The associated Protocol on Industry, signed in 2019, will anchor this strategy by promoting
the development of diversified, innovative, and globally competitive regional and national industrial bases founded on
inclusivity and sustainability. The SADC Regional Mining Vision (RMV) and Action Plan that were approved in August
2019 will also assist in the area of value chains, as their aim is to ensure the increased production and use of SADC
raw materials as feedstock for downstream processing.

Enhancement of science, technology, and innovation (STI), and business sophistication: There has been
considerable progress made in terms of the adoption of science, technology, and innovation policies in the region. The
number of SADC Member States (out of 16) that have adopted STI policies has grown from 11 to 14. All Member States
have a dedicated government department responsible for STI, as well as specific institutions assigned to implement
STI programmes.

Regional agriculture and non-agriculture value chains and value-addition: Significant progress was recorded with
regard to the development of strategies and profiling of regional value chains in agro-processing, mineral beneficiation,
and pharmaceuticals. The agro-processing profiling study identified 14 value chains with great potential for upgrading,
thereby empowering SADC governments with knowledge of which value chains to target and hence increasing the
likelihood of further regional developmental gains. It also encourages private sector and international investment in
these value chains, by providing essential information and signalling SADC and its Member States’ intent to support
and facilitate their efforts.

Regional private sector partnership and collaboration strategy: Progress was recorded with the development
of the Private Sector Engagement Mechanism (PSEM), which will provide the basis for public-private dialogue and
development of a Regional Public-Private Sector Engagement Strategy. This important achievement should increase
private sector investment in the region, while establishing an important platform for the private sector and SADC to
enter into public-private partnerships (PPPs).

Trade facilitation: A Simplified Trade Regime (STR) Framework, aimed at reducing barriers to trade by simplifying
customs procedures and processes, was finalised. The SADC Electronic Certificate of Origin (E-CoO) Framework was
also finalised, which will enable traders to apply for the certificate of origin electronically. The E-CoO Framework will be
launched on a pilot basis in Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zambia in 2020. The SADC Regional
Customs Transit Guarantee (RCTG) Regulations were reviewed, and this will assist in facilitating the movement of
goods; reducing transaction costs; increasing the level of competitiveness of regional producers; and supporting the
removal of non-tariff barriers.

Consolidation of the SADC Free Trade Area: In terms of intra-regional trade flows, intra-SADC trade rose from 16.3%
in 2008 to 21.6% in 2016. This intra-regional trade slowed down to 20% in 2017 and then to 19.3% in 2018. Although
intra-SADC trade is significantly less compared to intra-regional trade elsewhere in the world, such as in Asia (30%)
and the EU (60%), there are indications that momentum has been created towards improving SADC intra-trade over
the past five years. This improvement happened on the back of the significant progress made towards implementation
of the SADC FTA by Member States. A key milestone in the first three years of implementation of the Revised RISDP
was the progress made on tariff phase down. All parties, except for two Member States, have completed or are on
track to complete the SADC Protocol on Trade. This is an important outcome, as it enables deeper market and trade
integration in the region.

29 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

Real Time Gross Settlement: The SADC-Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system, formerly known as the SADC
Integrated Regional Electronic Settlement System (SIRESS), has been rolled out to all Member States, except
Comoros. From July 2013 to June 2020, more than 1.8 million transactions to the value of R7.17 trillion were settled
on the platform. The SADC-RTGS multi-currency platform went live in October 2018, and the onboarding of regional
currencies is ongoing. This is a major achievement. The system’s further development and use by banks in the region
will facilitate deeper financial integration, and this means less money leaving the regional economy due to reduced
transaction costs.

Financial inclusion: The Financial Inclusion and SME (Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprise) Access to Finance
Strategy and Implementation Strategy have been approved. Ten Member States have developed either financial
inclusion strategies or a national roadmap on financial inclusion, and there has been an 8% improvement in financial
inclusion among adults in the region, which now stands at 68%. With regard to cross-border remittances in the region,
which are critical for financial inclusion and poverty alleviation, the cost of cross-border remittances has been reduced
by 3.6 percentage points, from an average of 13% per transaction in 2016 to about 9.4% in 2019 in the corridor
between South Africa and Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Investment and tax-related matters: In order to harmonise investment regimes and develop SADC as a single
investment destination, the SADC Investment Policy Framework has been developed. In addition, a Bilateral Investment
Treaty Template was developed to assist Member States in negotiating investment treaties. On taxation, three guidelines
were developed to facilitate the harmonisation of value-added tax, excise taxes, and tax incentives in the region. These
are: Guidelines for Co-operation in Value Added Taxes in the SADC Region; Guidelines for Co-operation in Excise
Taxes in the SADC Region; and Guidelines for Co-operation in Tax Incentives in the SADC Region. The network of
double tax avoidance agreements increased from 52 in 2015 to 59 in 2019.

Agriculture, food security, and natural resources: To promote regional food security, the SADC Regional
Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Compact (or Regional Agricultural Policy
[RAP]) was approved in 2014, along with a Regional Agricultural Investment Plan (RAIP) for its operationalisation
and the Regional Food and Nutrition Security Strategy (FNSS). However, there has been a lag in the domestication
of the RAIP by Member States, with only a few Member States completing and/or updating their National Agricultural
Investment Plans (NAIPs). The Agricultural Development Fund (ADF) also failed to gain sufficient traction. However,
the development of operational guidelines could change this, and Member State consultations are currently underway.

Several policy instruments were developed including, among others: Crop and Livestock Development Programmes,
the SADC Regional Aquaculture Strategy and Action Plan, and the Animal Genetics Resources Conservation and
Utilisation Strategy. All these instruments are currently being used by the region to increase agricultural production
and productivity. An example is the current increase in aquaculture production, which has exceeded 100,000 ton a
year. Eighty-four crop varieties were released and registered through the SADC Harmonised Seed Regulatory System,
and these are now ready to be traded throughout the region. Additional policy instruments and programmes that were
produced included: strategies for the surveillance and control of transboundary crop and animal pests (in particular,
Fall Armyworm, Tuta Absoluta, Banana Bunchy Top Virus Diseases, Maize Lethal Necrosis, Fusarium Oxysporum,
and Mediterranean Fruit Fly); the Peste des Petits Ruminants Eradication Roadmap; the Foot and Mouth Disease
Progressive Control Pathway; the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Preparedness Plan; and the SADC Strategy for
Elimination of Dog-Mediated Human Rabies.

The SADC Protocol on Fisheries is being implemented and has been partially domesticated in 13 Member States.
Similarly, the Protocol on Forestry is also being implemented and has been partially domesticated in 10 Member
States; as is the Protocol on Wildlife Conservation and Law Enforcement, which has been partially domesticated in
12 Member States. All this has resulted in improving the management and conservation of SADC’s natural resources,
including through the establishment of the SADC Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS) Centre to combat illegal,
unregulated, and unreported fishing; the establishment of 18 Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs), currently at
different stages of development; and the creation of the Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI) of Southern Africa and the
Sub-Regional Action Plan to Combat Desertification.

A number of initiatives were implemented, including the Agricultural Productivity Programme for Southern Africa
(APPSA). There was capacity development of agricultural stakeholders on climate change adaptation, and a regional
agricultural information and knowledge management portal was developed. However, SADC Member States are yet to

30 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

agree on the development of the regional framework for the transboundary movement, handling, and use of genetically
modified organisms (GMOs) and living modified organisms, due to different views on the way forward.

Regional sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regulatory agencies: Tools for tracking the implementation of sanitary
and phytosanitary measures have been developed, and all SADC Member States are implementing the SPS Guidelines.
Regional compliance in SPS implementation is reviewed annually through the SPS Coordinating Committee, comprised
of the Livestock, Plant Protection, and Food Safety Technical Committees. This important outcome enables deeper
market and trade integration in the region and facilitates the further development of regional supply and value chains.

National Vulnerability Assessment Committees (NVACs): National Vulnerability Assessment Committees were
established in all Member States but one. National vulnerability assessments, coordinated by the NVACs, are done
by these Member States annually. Urban vulnerability assessment guidelines were also developed. All these actions
contribute to the annual production of the Regional Vulnerability Assessment Analysis, which sets out the state of food
and nutrition insecurity in the region and informs decisions to address this insecurity.

Science, technology, and innovation: The Protocol on Science, Technology, and Innovation entered into force
in 2017, against the backdrop of the AU’s adoption of its Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa
2024 (STISA-2024) in 2014. This was followed by the development and validation of the Draft Regional Innovation
and Technology Transfer Framework and Action Plan in 2018. The establishment and implementation of regional
programmes to facilitate research, innovation, and technology transfer recorded some progress through an increase in
STI policies as well as financial commitment to research and development (R&D). These achievements have increased
the sharing of knowledge, and transfer of skills and technology throughout the region. This is, in turn, an important
developmental attainment, as these transfers increase productivity and competitive advantage.

2.2 Infrastructure Development

The Infrastructure Development priority area under RISDP 2015–2020 encompassed the attainment of assimilated, cost-
effective, unified, and efficient transnational infrastructure networks and services, to serve as enablers of regional integration
and economic development towards poverty reduction. Various achievements were noted under this priority area.

2.2.1 ICT and Telecommunications Sector

Cross-border transmission links: Most SADC Member States have established cross-border transmission links
using optical fibre technology, as envisaged under the SADC Regional Information Infrastructure (SRII) programme
for developing regional optic fibre links, terrestrial backhauls, backbone access networks, and migration towards an
all-IP network. This has allowed landlocked SADC Member States (Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, and
Zimbabwe) to connect to submarine cables on either or both the east and west coast of Africa under SRII Phase I.

Geostationary orbit satellite communications network: A framework for the SADC Regional Shared Satellite
Programme was adopted in 2019, with the primary aim being a SADC shared geostationary orbit satellite communications
network to provide telecommunications services to the Community.

Operationalisation of cyber security regulatory frameworks and Computer Emergency Response Teams:
Computer Incident Response Teams (CIRTs) have been established in four countries (Mauritius, South Africa, Tanzania,
and Zambia), while eight Member States (Angola, Botswana, DRC, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and
Zimbabwe) completed the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) CIRT assessment and enacted legislation to
operationalise their national Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs).

Analogue to digital terrestrial television migration: The SADC Digital Sound Broadcasting (DSB) Policy and
Regulatory Framework and SADC Postal Strategy 2017–2020 were approved, in September 2017, for immediate
implementation. Thirteen Member States (Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia,
Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) have completed the migration from analogue
to digital terrestrial television (DTT). In the DRC and Madagascar, DTT networks have been launched in the main cities;
however, they are all pay-TV services using their own conditional access schemes.

31 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

Four regulations and position papers on the SADC TV bouquet were approved in September 2017. These are: SADC
Regulatory Guidelines for the SADC TV Bouquet; Hosting of the Content Aggregator for SADC TV Bouquet; Harnessing
Local Content in SADC; and Financing Model for SADC TV Bouquet.

Strengthening and implementation of regional broadband interconnectivity: This has proven to be a critical
technology in fighting and recovering from natural disasters and pandemics. Eight Member States (Angola, Botswana,
Eswatini, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Tanzania) have established funded national broadband
plans or strategies; and five Member States (Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, South Africa, and Tanzania) have already
achieved the 2025 SADC broadband target of providing 80% of their population with access to broadband services.

All SADC Member States have established at least one operational National Internet Exchange Point (NIXP). Data on
Internet usage indicates that average Internet user penetration was 22.3% (ranging from 8.6% to 58.8%) in SADC.
In comparison, 51.2% of the world population uses the Internet. The average proportion of households with Internet
access in SADC is 27.8%, while 57.8% of households worldwide have Internet access (based on ITU data as of
December 2017).

Development and operationalisation of the SADC ICT Observatory: The first phase commenced with the
development of the SADC ICT Observatory Data Collection Framework, in 2017, and SADC Model Survey Forms
to assist National Statistics Offices (NSOs) in Member States in creating their multi-purpose annual surveys. The
SADC ICT Observatory and broadband indicators were also approved for implementation by Member States. Capacity
building on the ICT for Development Index (IDI) was also conducted for eight Member States.

SADC Roaming project: Implementation of cost-based mobile roaming tariffs is at various stages of implementation.
Mobile network operators in 10 SADC Member States (Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia,
South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) have completed phase 1 (Transparency to Roaming Tariff and
Increase in Roaming Footprint) and phase 2 (Wholesale and Retail Price Cap Regulation, and Three Route Approach).
The SADC Roaming Cost Model was developed, allowing implementation of the third and final phase of the project to
commence.

E-post concept implemented to liberalise and modernise postal services in at least 12 Member States: The
SADC Postal Strategy 2017–2020, which includes the e-post concept (automation of postal systems, provision of public
Internet access, electronic funds transfers, and e-government services) to liberalise postal services, was adopted.

2.2.2 Energy Sector

The planned outputs were: (a) the implementation of planned electricity generation and transmission expansion
capacity; and (b) the development of a regional energy sector-wide regulatory framework.

The Southern African Power Pool Generation and Transmission Plan (2017): Adopted by energy ministers in
2018, this plan seeks to implement various regional transmission projects that are at different stages. An Agreement
Amending the Protocol on Energy of 1996 was developed in 2019, with a view to eliminating inconsistencies that have
emerged due to global and regional developments; correcting inadequacies and inefficiencies in existing systems;
continuing institutional reforms; and promoting private sector participation in infrastructure development.

SADC Regional Energy Access and Strategic Action Plan (REASAP) 2010–2020: This plan was adopted, in 2010,
to encourage Member States to move towards universal energy access, with a midway goal to halve the number of
people without access to modern energy resources by 2020. In 2019, the Secretariat revised the REASAP to align it
to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and Sustainable Energy Access for All (SEforAll) initiatives, characterised by
universal access to reliable, affordable, convenient, and safe electricity.

Institutions dedicated to rural electrification established by 2020: Seven Member States have institutions dedicated
to rural electrification. These include the Rural Electrification Unit in Lesotho; Agency for the Development of Rural
Electrification-ADER in Madagascar; Fundo de Energia in Mozambique; Rural Energy Agency in Tanzania; Rural
Electrification Authority in Zambia; and Rural Electrification Agency in Zimbabwe. In Namibia, rural electrification is
ring-fenced in Nampower, the national power utility.

32 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

Centres of Excellence: These have been an area of significant success and have already been developed in several
areas, including renewable energy and energy efficiency, groundwater management, and climate services. There are
efforts ongoing towards establishing the SADC Aviation Safety Organisation, with more centres in the pipeline.

Water management strategies/plans: The implementation of SADC’s programme in the water sector is driven through
the SADC Regional Strategic Action Plan (RSAP) for Integrated Water Resources Development and Management,
currently in its fourth iteration (RSAP IV). Planned activities and outputs included the adoption of Shared River Basin
Management Strategies/Plans, awareness-raising and communication on Integrated Water Resources Management
and Development (IWRMD) and its contribution to regional development, as well as coordinated Guidelines for
Implementation of the Protocol on Shared Watercourses by 2020.

Regional water climate change adaptation strategy integrated in the intersectoral SADC framework and the
components supporting disaster risk reduction and flood early warning systems implemented by 2020: The
regional water climate change adaptation strategy and flood early warning system were developed in 2015 and
integrated into the Climate Services Centre (CSC) programme, with a server at CSC and computer nodes in the
hydrological services of the Member States and the Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM) Secretariat. In
addition, tools for disaster preparedness and early warning systems in hotspot areas in the Limpopo and Zambezi
Basins were developed and distributed to all Member States in 2015.

Important progress in this area also included the signing of the hosting agreement of the Secretariat for the Incomati
and Maputo River Basins (Eswatini, Mozambique, and South Africa) and the establishment of the Cuvelai Secretariat
(Namibia and Angola). Another significant development was the signing of the Buzi, Pungwe, and Save (BUPUSA) Tri-
Basin Cooperation Agreement between Mozambique and Zimbabwe in 2019.

Transboundary water supply and sanitation infrastructure implemented by 2020: Four transboundary water supply
and sanitation projects benefiting six Member States are under construction to boost cooperation and development in
the water sector. These are as follows.

• Kunene Transboundary Water Supply Project: Phase 1 (Lot 1) of this transboundary water supply scheme between
Angola and Namibia was completed and commissioned in November 2018. It involved the rehabilitation and
extension of the Calueque water supply scheme, increase in livestock water access points, and irrigation offtake
infrastructure on the Angolan side. It also included rehabilitation of the cross-border canal that transfers water into
Namibia, which services a huge proportion of the national population in northern Namibia.
• Lomahasha/Namaacha Water Supply Project: This project between Eswatini and Mozambique is underway and
involves the development of a joint water scheme that will allow potable water supply from Eswatini to cross the
border and be used by the Mozambican residents of the Namaacha border town as well. The next phase will
involve the development of dam infrastructure on the Mozambican side to meet future demand.
• Chirundu Cross-Border Water Supply and Sanitation Project: This ongoing project between Zambia and Zimbabwe
is located at an important strategic developmental node in the region. It will ensure provision of clean and
sustainable drinking water and sanitation services to both Zambian and Zimbabwean border towns in Chirundu
that are experiencing huge volumes of traffic with the greater movement of transport and people through this point.
• Kazungula Water Supply and Sanitation Project: This project involves infrastructure development to increase the
capacity of the water supply system at Kazungula (mainly on the Zambian side), to meet the projected water
demand arising from the greater cross-border movement of people as the result of a bridge development and
the general increase in population in this area. It also seeks to address the sanitation issues in the border town,
through provision of improved water sanitation infrastructure to service the town and the border post.

2.2.3 Transport Sector

Policy standards, and strategic and regulatory frameworks of regional transport infrastructure networks: As
of 2020, implementation in this area was ongoing, with frameworks and standards being developed under the Tripartite
Transport Transit Facilitation Programme. Key achievements included development of the Vehicle Load Management
Agreement and the Multilateral Cross-Border Road Transport Agreement, as well as corresponding model laws, which
were adopted by the Tripartite Sectoral Committee of Ministers responsible for infrastructure in October 2019. The planned
implementation of these key instruments awaits their adoption by the Tripartite Summit. Meanwhile, several Member
States have begun domestication and implementation of harmonised laws, policies, regulations, standards, and systems.
Legal instruments for the Beira and North-South regional transport corridors were finalised and approved in 2017.

33 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs): A key element of the corridor transport and logistics infrastructure programme is
the development of One-Stop Border Posts as a means to reduce transaction costs for crossing a border. To this end,
SADC has embarked on OSBPs at the Chirundu border between Zambia and Zimbabwe and the Nakonde-Tunduma
border between Tanzania and Zambia. A third OSBP is under construction at the Kazungula border between Botswana
and Zambia.

Furthermore, a new container terminal was opened at Walvis Bay. Several sections of the Regional Trunk Road Network
were also rehabilitated, including completion of the Catembe Bridge in Maputo and the Samora Machel Bridge in Tete,
Mozambique.

Tourism quality standards and systems: The Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA) produced
the revised Southern Africa Harmonised Star Grading Standards, which were adopted. Several instruments have
been developed as guidelines for best practice, including: SADC Guidelines on the Establishment of Transfrontier
Conservation Areas and for Tourism Concessions, and Guidelines for Community Engagement and Development of
Cross-Border Tourism Products. The SADC Law Enforcement and Anti-Poaching (LEAP) Strategy has been developed
and implementation has started, while the SADC Trade in Wildlife Information eXchange (TWIX) System has been
launched. In addition, nine TFCAs involving 11 Member States are now active with agreements and governance
structures in place, while a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework to monitor the implementation of the SADC
TFCAs programme has been approved and implementation has started.

2.2.4 Meteorology Sector

Institutional Support to African Climate Institutions Project (ISACIP): Funded by the African Development Bank,
this project sought to strengthen the capacity of African climate institutions in the generation of relevant climate
information. It was implemented in components, namely the production of climate-related information and institutional
strengthening, including infrastructure, on the job training, and workshops. Its achievements were as follows. The
SADC Climate Services Centre was strengthened through the acquisition of a High-Performance Computing (HPC)
server, an Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), and workstations to visualise data and satellite images;
the installation of a Climate Data Management and Processing System (CLISYS); the revamping of its website; and
the refurbishment of the building. Ten Member States were provided with an Automatic Weather Station (AWS); the
Southern African Climate Outlook Fora, as well as on the job training and workshops, were convened; and funding
was provided for master’s and PhD scholarships to personnel from SADC National Meteorological and Hydrological
Services (NMHSs). The project ended in 2016.

Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (MESA): Funded through the AU Commission (on behalf of the
RECs), this programme was implemented from September 2013 to December 2017. It promoted the use of satellite
Earth Observation (EO) data for environmental monitoring and sustainable development and focused on the acquisition
of satellite receiver infrastructure, services development, and regional and national capacity building in EO systems;
as well as capacity building and support to national institutions mandated to monitor agriculture, drought, wildfire, and
floods in SADC. It deployed 73 MESA satellite receiving stations in the region. Four services (Agriculture, Drought,
Wildfire, and Flood) were disseminated via the European Meteorological Satellite Broadcast System.

Climate Services Centre: The Centre has been implementing the Southern African Regional Climate Services for
Disaster Resilience (SARCIS-DR) project, in the framework of the continent-wide Satellite and Weather Information for
Disaster Resilience in Africa (SAWIDRA) project, funded by the African Development Bank and ending in September
2020. It has aimed to strengthen the capacity of all Member States to generate and disseminate climate information
in response to climate-induced disasters, reducing loss of life and property damage; and to enhance capacity in
numerical weather prediction and regional climate models for seasonal climate forecasting. Equipment donated has
included: 40 Automatic Weather Stations, 14 High-Performance Computing servers, and two Automatic Message
Switching Systems to improve data access and processing and monitoring of weather and climate systems for timely
early warning and disaster mitigation.

Early Warning System (EWS): An EWS was installed at the SADC Climate Services Centre. This system has several
functions, including providing operational regional climate information services for monitoring and forecasts of all
facets of seasonal climate conditions; and developing and distributing meteorological, environmental, and hydro-

34 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

meteorological products. While the EWS is in place, its integration and automation for online use remains outstanding.
Training has been conducted annually for national climate experts, supported by the Secretariat.

2.3 Social and Human Capital Development

The overall objective of the Social and Human Development priority area was to develop and implement programmes,
in order to improve human capacities for socio-economic development, in areas including: education and human
resource development; health, HIV/AIDS, pandemics, and other diseases of public health concern; poverty eradication;
employment and labour; food and nutrition security; and gender equality.

2.3.1 Health
Strategies, guidelines, and standards for the prevention and control of diseases of public health concern – including
malaria, tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS, and non-communicable diseases – were developed, updated, approved, and
implemented.

HIV/AIDS: The aim was to promote the adoption and institutionalisation of a standard, comprehensive package that
addresses the unique challenges in providing equitable and effective HIV and sexual and reproductive health rights
(SRHR) services to key and vulnerable populations in SADC. These strategies helped to guide Member States in
developing their own national strategies targeting these groups, and allowed improved data collection and thus
monitoring of the regional HIV response among key and vulnerable populations. The regional strategy on HIV care,
treatment, and prevention for key populations and the guide for HIV prevention among adolescent girls and young
women, and their sexual partners were developed and approved. As a result, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis have now
been mainstreamed in key sectors in SADC.

Other communicable diseases: Harmonised minimum standards for the prevention, treatment, and management of
tuberculosis in the region have been developed to promote health through support for the control of communicable
diseases; and preparedness, surveillance, and responses during emergencies. TB incidence rates have been declining
since 2015 in most countries. The majority of Member States have made significant improvement in the reduction of TB
mortality, with almost all Member States achieving the 15% reduction target in TB mortality between 2015 and 2018.
Substantial resources have been mobilised to support Member States’ implementation of malaria control programmes
through partnerships with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; Roll Back Malaria; and the African
Leaders Malaria Alliance. The support has enabled Member States to record significant progress in the control of
malaria, and set the pace for its elimination by the year 2030.

Procurement pooling and regional production of essential medicines and health commodities: The SADC Pooled
Procurement Services system for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies has been established and is hosted by the
Medical Stores Department of Tanzania. Once fully operationalised, the SPPS will facilitate pooled pharmaceutical
procurement and assist Member States in share pricing and supplier information, enabling them to negotiate for better
prices of high-quality medicines from suppliers, thereby reducing the administrative cost of procurement significantly.

Maternal, child, and adolescent health and safe motherhood: The development and implementation of strategies,
guidelines, and standards on maternal, child, and adolescent health and safe motherhood were partially achieved with
the approval of the Regional Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Strategy.

2.3.2 Education and Skills Development

SADC Qualifications Framework: Progress has been made on the SADC Qualifications Framework (SADCQF), which
facilitates the development of human resources and availability of educated and highly skilled personnel through
comparable education and training systems. Some Member States have developed or are revising their National
Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs) to align with the regional framework. South Africa and Seychelles have already
aligned their NQFs to the regional framework, while others are making notable progress, including Mauritius, which has
submitted its alignment report for adjudication.

SADC Protocol on Education and Training: Interventions have included the treatment of SADC students as local
students with respect to tuition, application, and examination fees in public universities in most Member States leading

35 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

to: a proposal to introduce a regional visa for students, academics, researchers, and scientists; tax and customs
exemptions in the region; establishment of Centres of Specialisation; development of Regional Teacher Standards
and Competencies; and regional norms and standards for education management information; as well as promotion
of technical and vocational entrepreneurship education and training through development of a TVET (Technical and
Vocational Education and Training) Nomenclature Framework and Strategy.

Increasing access and reducing attrition rates in education systems: Several instruments were developed
including the development of the SADC Policy Framework for Care and Support for Teaching and Learning (CSTL),
which addresses barriers to teaching and learning by strengthening education systems and facilitating access
to support services for vulnerable children and youth in schools. The SADC Open and Distance Learning Policy
Framework was developed to promote technology advancement and virtual learning to increase access to quality and
relevant education and training opportunities and should result in the establishment of a SADC Centre for Distance
Learning and conceptualisation of the SADC Virtual University of Transformation, the latter being a vehicle that will
drive the generation of the much needed skills in the region, including those in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM).

Youth employment promotion: A SADC Youth Employment Promotion Policy Framework and Strategic Plan was
developed and approved in 2016 and is being implemented through a number of strategies in all countries. Minimum
standards of social protection for youth were implemented.

Skills development: Achievements were recorded in Regional Human Resource Skills Development Plans for
key sectors in priorities A, B, and C of RISDP 2015–2020 and other areas for social and economic integration and
cooperation were envisaged.

Skills Needs Assessments: These were completed for the mineral sector and for pharmaceutical managers and
regulators, and protocols were developed on Trade in Services (providing for market liberalisation of services and
mutual recognition agreements for professional services); Employment and Labour; Facilitation of Movement of
Persons; and Education and Training.

SADC Labour Migration Policy Framework: This was implemented in the broad context of facilitation of movement
of persons, with several Member States taking steps to domesticate the regional policy framework to guarantee basic
rights for labour migrants. At least eight Member States have adopted a national labour migration policy or are at
advanced stages. The SADC Labour Migration Action Plan (2020–2025), adopted in 2020, will be consolidating the
progress made so far. Similarly, the SADC Guidelines on Portability of Social Security Benefits, adopted in 2020, will
also strengthen Member States’ cooperation on labour migration.

Decent work opportunities: The SADC Decent Work Programme (2013–2019) was domesticated in SADC Member
States to promote full and productive employment. The programme has strengthened social dialogue at both regional
and country levels, which has facilitated a stable and harmonious labour market environment that is conducive to
investment and economic growth. At the regional level, Member States continue to cooperate with employers and
employees through active participation of the SADC Private Sector Forum and the Southern Africa Trade Union
Coordinating Council. Labour Market Information Systems in SADC have been strengthened, facilitating the production
of the first report on the state of the labour market in the region in 2017. Within the framework of the SADC Employment
and Labour Sector, the SADC Private Sector Forum launched the online SADC Labour Law Guide in 2020, which
provides easily accessible and comparable Member States’ labour market information to promote harmonisation of
labour standards.

36 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

2.4 Cross-Cutting Issues
The cross-cutting issues of RISDP 2015–2020 were: Poverty Reduction; Gender Equality and Development; Science,
Technology, and Innovation; Environment and Sustainable Development; Private Sector; and Statistics.

Poverty reduction: A number of key interventions have been implemented to improve monitoring of poverty reduction.
A Regional Poverty Observatory (RPO) was established as a platform for all the stakeholders working in poverty
eradication at regional and national levels to meet, evaluate, and monitor the implementation of the Regional Poverty
Reduction Framework. However, financial challenges have prevented the RPO Steering Committee from fully pursuing
its mandate.

In spite of this and recognising the need for access to reliable M&E data, the RPO Steering Committee adopted the
SADC Indicator Framework for tracking poverty and living conditions. Indicator data is collected through the SADC
M&E System.

National gender policies and programmes: Progress has been achieved in the development of national gender
policies, structures, guidelines, action plans, and programmes to address gender inequities and raise awareness of
gender equality, gender analysis, and mainstreaming at national and regional levels. Most Member States undertook
comprehensive constitutional reviews of domestic laws to align and/or harmonise them with the SADC Protocol on
Gender and Development, and all States have constitutions and statutes outlawing discrimination on the basis of sex.
Good progress is being made towards representation of women in political and decision-making positions at various
levels of governance, though some are regressing.

Most Member States have been capacitated in gender mainstreaming, and Regional Gender Responsive Budgeting
Guidelines are in use. The Protocol on Gender and Development is monitored every two years through the SADC Gender
and Development Monitor. The region’s commitment to gender equality needs to be translated into a sustainable and
tangible reality by addressing gaps to ensure the realisation of its transformative effect on institutions, practices, and
politics on the ground.

Science, Technology, and Innovation: Draft Regional Intellectual Property Rights Framework and Guidelines were
adopted by the Council of Ministers in 2018, and in the same year, seven states adopted the SADC Women in Science,
Engineering, and Technology Organisation (WISETO) Charter. Four expressed interest in hosting the SADC WISETO,
and processes are under way to establish and operationalise the body. The Council also approved a draft Framework
and Guidelines on Centres of Excellence and Centres of Specialisation, while the Regional List on STI Indicators was
endorsed by the SADC Committee on Statistics and approved by the Council of Ministers that same year.

Environment and development: Technical and financial support is being sought to produce and implement the Blue
Economy Strategy, and the Secretariat is supporting Member States to develop national blue economy strategies. The
Secretariat initiated processes for accreditation to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) as the regional implementing entity
for securing climate-change funding for regional programmes, and a feasibility study was completed to assess the
Secretariat’s eligibility to be a Regional Implementing Entity and initiate the GCF Online Accreditation System. Letters
of No Objection have been requested from National Designated Authorities.

Private sector: There has been increased engagement of these stakeholders on the regional agenda, and a scoping
study was completed as a precursor towards development of a Private Sector Engagement Mechanism to improve
public-private dialogue across the SADC region.

Harmonisation of regional statistics: This was a key target for RISDP 2015–2020 under the Social and Human Capital
Development priority. A number of capacity development initiatives – including interventions such as the Pan-African
Statistics Programme (in collaboration with the AU Commission); national and regional training workshops on the SADC
Template of Trade in Services Statistics; and training for focal persons on technical validation of economic and social
statistics for the SADC Statistics Yearbook – were undertaken. Manuals, guidelines, frameworks, and standards on
GDP compilation, technical guidance notes on the harmonised consumer price index, and the formulation, compilation,
and use of statistics were also developed in the areas of real and external sector statistics. The draft SADC Protocol on
Statistics is close to being finalised and endorsed by relevant SADC structures.

37 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

2.5 Peace and Security
Peace and security have been a fundamental part of SADC, highlighting the need to establish regional cooperation
and integration and promote enhanced welfare for the region’s citizens.

Protocol on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation: The implementation of this protocol was geared towards
strengthening and deepening cooperation in the areas of politics, defence, and security in SADC. The protocol sought
to revitalise the various Member States in their efforts towards enhanced peace, security, and stability in the region;
and to encourage regional prosperity, as articulated and demonstrated in the proliferation of declarations, treaties, and
protocols aimed at preventing and containing conflicts in the region.

Harmonised Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ (SIPO II): This originally covered the period 2010–2015, and
its primary objective was to create a peaceful and stable political and security environment through which the region
will realise socio-economic development, poverty eradication, and regional integration. It detailed specific activities in
accordance with the objectives of the Protocol on Defence, Politics, and Security Cooperation, and the strategies for
their realisation and public security.

Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation (the Organ): The Organ was established in 1996 to coordinate
the regional peace and security agenda. Reporting to the Summit, the Organ’s core objective is to promote peace
and security in the region, as defined in Article 5 of the SADC Treaty and the SADC Protocol on Politics, Defence and
Security Co-operation. It targeted the following specific outcomes: (a) enhanced regional peacebuilding; (b) enhanced
conflict prevention, resolution, and management; (c) enhanced disaster risk management; (d) enhanced regional
collective defence; (f) enhanced regional early warning; (g) enhanced cross-border security; (h) enhanced training in
peace support operations; and (i) enhanced migration and refugee management.

Peace and security milestones: The adoption (in 2004) and consistent implementation of the SADC Principles and
Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections has enabled the region to strengthen and sustain democracy and good
governance through harmonised electoral normative frameworks.

The milestones achieved include the establishment of the Regional Early Warning Centre (REWC) (launched in 2010)
and the Conflict Prevention, Preventive Diplomacy, and Mediation Structure (operationalised in 2014), which have
enhanced the region’s capacity to anticipate, monitor, prevent, and resolve conflicts.

Common SADC Defence and Security Policy: The establishment (in 2007) and the attainment of full operational
capability of the SADC Standby Force (SSF) in 2017 enhanced SADC’s profile in the domain of regional and continental
peacemaking. Additionally, and in order to sustain the SSF’s operations, the region has laid down the foundations for
the construction of the Regional Logistics Depot (RLD).

Regional Law Enforcement and Anti-Poaching Strategy: This strategy was approved, in 2015, as a framework for
cross-border collaboration in minimising wildlife crimes and illegal trade, while promoting sustainable trade and use of
natural resources. This has also been facilitated through a set of Coordinated Border Management Guidelines and the
implementation of the Protocol on the Control of Firearms, Ammunition, and Other Related Materials.

Regional Counter-Terrorism Strategy and Action Plan: The Regional Counter-Terrorism Strategy and Action Plan
(adopted in 2015), along with the Maritime Security Strategy (adopted in 2011), has strengthened the region’s capacity
to address threats to national and regional security.

Regional Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security: This regional strategy was approved, in 2017, as a key tool to
support the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 in the region. The strategy
has increased awareness and inclusiveness of women in peace and security.

Regional Disaster Preparedness and Response Strategy: This strategy, which was approved in 2016, has
contributed to the enhancement of regional disaster management and responses.

Hashim Mbita Publication: This publication, which was launched in August 2014, documents, preserves, and
disseminates the history of Southern Africa’s liberation struggles.

38 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

 Chapter
3

Vision
...sustainable economic well-being, justice, and freedom

Vision, Mission, and Principles

3.1 SADC Vision 2050
SADC Vision 2050 is derived from the letter and spirit of SADC’s Founding Treaty, which aspires towards a common
future and a peaceful, inclusive, and industrialised region. The Vision statement is:

A peaceful, inclusive, competitive middle- to high-income industrialised region,

where all citizens enjoy sustainable economic well-being, justice, and freedom

SADC Vision 2050 is built on a foundation of Peace, Security, and Good Governance and anchored in the following
three pillars:

• Pillar I: Industrial Development and Market Integration;

• Pillar II: Infrastructure Development in Support of Regional Integration; and
• Pillar III: Social and Human Capital Development.

The three pillars are interlinked with Gender, Youth, Environment and Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management
as cross-cutting issues.

3.2 Mission
In line with the SADC Treaty’s quest for wider and deeper regional economic integration and development, the Mission
Statement is to:

• Create a conducive environment to foster regional cooperation and integration, and uphold free movement of
goods, labour, capital, and services. To that effect, political stability, good governance, peace, and security shall
be the cornerstone of national and regional undertakings.
• Accelerate the mobilisation of resources from within the Community and external sources. The implementation
of SADC policies and programmes does, and will, rely heavily on the successful mobilisation of resources. To
improve sustainability, mechanisms will be put in place to shift away from a previous reliance on international
cooperating partners towards a more diversified approach that is better integrated and complementary. To this
end, a robust strategy will be developed to fill the funding gap, which is needed to realise the aspirations under
the pillars developed in this Vision.
• Improve implementation of SADC policies and programmes through the effective realisation of roles and
responsibilities undertaken by various actors and entities through institutional reforms. These reforms will take
place at the operational level. The SADC Secretariat at the regional level, and SADC National Committees and
National Contact Points at the national level will be targeted for support and reform to ensure that they are
adequately capacitated to perform their roles in the regional integration agenda implementation architecture. The
development of strong relationships across the different levels will also be prioritised to maximise the efficiency
and effectiveness of implementation.
• Strengthen compliance by Member States through the implementation of effective compliance monitoring
and assurance mechanisms to track progress in implementation of SADC programmes and compliance with
its protocols and legal instruments. A bespoke compliance mechanism will be developed for the region that

39 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

 leverages off the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and other regional economic community compliance
mechanisms in Africa and across the globe. The success of the mechanism relies on the establishment of a strong
coordinating body (such as the SADC Secretariat) and the cooperation of Member States. Such a mechanism will
also augment existing mechanisms that seek to monitor and evaluate ongoing initiatives in the region, for instance,
the SADC Macroeconomic Convergence and Surveillance Mechanism. Regular review and evaluation of RISDP
2020–2030 will take place, which will enable the effective and authentic application of variable geometry and
facilitate opportunities for active learning and leapfrogging by leveraging relevant and emerging technologies.
• Magnify visibility and awareness as a means to trigger and maintain the interest, awareness, and participation of
SADC citizens in driving the regional integration agenda in innovative ways that complement existing mechanisms
and will increase the region’s visibility and awareness of its goals.

In executing the Vision and Mission, RISDP 2020–2030 brings into focus SADC’s objectives as defined in Article 5 of
the SADC Treaty:

a. Promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development that will ensure poverty
alleviation with the ultimate objective of its eradication, enhance the standard and quality of life of the people of
Southern Africa, and support the socially disadvantaged through regional integration;
b. Promote common political values, systems, and other shared values which are transmitted through institutions
which are democratic, legitimate, and effective;
c. Consolidate, defend, and maintain democracy, peace, security, and stability;
d. Promote self-sustaining development on the basis of collective self-reliance and the interdependence of Member
States;
e. Achieve complementarity between national and regional strategies and programmes;
f. Promote and maximise productive employment and utilisation of resources of the region;
g. Achieve sustainable utilisation of natural resources and effective protection of the environment;
h. Strengthen and consolidate the long standing historical, social, and cultural affinities and links among the people
of the region;
i. Combat HIV/AIDS or other deadly and communicable diseases;
j. Ensure that poverty eradication is addressed in all SADC activities and programmes; and
k. Mainstream gender in the process of community building.

3.3 Principles
The RISDP continues to be guided by the principles enunciated in Article 4 of the SADC Treaty:

a. Sovereign equality of all Member States;

b. Solidarity, peace, and security;
c. Human rights, democracy, and the rule of law;
d. Equity, balance, and mutual benefit; and
e. Peaceful settlement of disputes.

In addition to the Treaty’s core principles, RISDP 2020–2030 emphasises the following values:

a. Regional development and integration for the benefit and full employment of SADC citizens;
b. Systematic reduction of poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion;
c. Advancing innovation as well as the development and application of science and technology, for greater productivity
and global competitiveness; and
d. Promoting sustainable and optimum use of the region’s natural resources be it on land or in the marine environment.

3.4 Theory of Change

The Theory of Change derives from the Vision and intent of the SADC Treaty, revolving around building a common
future as well as the SADC Vision 2050 and Mission Statement.

It seeks to articulate how change will be brought about, bringing together the various elements that are expected to

40 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

interlink in contributing towards enhanced integration within the region. The aspiration to attain regional integration is
predicated on the SADC Vision 2050 statement, which is presented in the Theory of Change as the region’s ultimate
goal, which is to become:

A peaceful, inclusive, competitive middle- to high-income industrialised region,

where all citizens enjoy sustainable economic well-being, justice, and freedom.

The SADC Vision is the ultimate destination of a 30-year journey beginning in 2020 and culminating in 2050. The
region is comprised of a mixture of low- and middle-income economies scattered between small, large, and isolated
jurisdictions, as well as island states. In the next 30 years, it is projected that SADC will, on aggregate, become a
middle- to high-income constellation of Member States, which, notwithstanding rising population levels, will by and
large enjoy expanding economic status. The journey requires that certain antecedent conditions are met and that
an array of milestones predicated on achieving these are set. At the forefront is the attainment of SADC’s Common
Agenda, which should embrace the principle of variable geometry; thus, RISDP 2020–2030 sets intermediate- to long-
term horizons with milestones to be achieved in pursuit of the Vision.

The change sought can only take place through the realisation of three core pillars, a foundational pillar, and cross-
cutting issues in support of regional integration, as enunciated above under the Vision. These serve as the long-term
outcomes that, when collectively realised, will contribute towards the attainment of the overall goal. The Theory of
Change seeks to explain the causal link between inputs, regional level activities, the outputs produced thereof, and
outcomes, all of which will inform the realisation of the long-term goal outlined above.

3.4.1 Inputs
Certain inputs are required to adequately resource activities at regional and national levels. These human, financial,
and material inputs are provided by both Member States and SADC institutions, and their availability and use have
considerable impact on achieving the intended impact.

Generally, the financial inputs and resources required for activities to be carried out at national and regional levels will
be derived from: (a) statutory contributions from Member States; (b) official development assistance (ODA) and other
forms of development funding from various partners; (c) SADC Regional Development Fund (RDF); and (d) local and
foreign investments attracted from the private sector (including PPP initiatives).

Most activities aimed at realising SADC’s regional objectives are undertaken in earnest at the Member State level. Each
government has articulated National Visions or Development Plans, outlining Member State priorities, which have also
been consulted in the development of this RISDP. National public expenditure programmes and budgets allocated
for certain activities aimed at inter alia industrialisation, trade, infrastructure development, private sector and value
chain development, and other interventions programmed into national level priorities, will also serve as inputs. The
assumption is that there will be cooperation and commitment at the national level.

The SADC Secretariat will be responsible for organising and hosting regional level platforms whose outcomes will have
technical and strategic implications for the formulation and implementation of interventions. The activities will translate
inputs into regional level outputs that contribute to the achievement of outcomes and, finally, the ultimate goal. These
activities are delineated below, with results pathways described in examples, under each pillar.

3.4.2 Activities
Whilst specific short-term actions will be implemented as described in the Implementation Plan, they fall within broader
sets of activities, which are already provided by SADC, as either primary agent or as facilitator, to varying degrees.
Their continued and targeted execution will result in material outputs that further the ultimate goal.

Facilitation and Coordination: A critical activity set is facilitation and coordination, which ensure efficient cooperation
at national and regional levels. The goal of coordination is to group efforts in order to improve their overall efficiency,
whilst facilitation intends to streamline crucial actions and processes. Actions include facilitating establishment of
key institutions or programmes, hosting dialogue and engagement platforms, and coordinating implementation of
strategies and programmes.

41 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

Monitoring and Reporting: Quality monitoring and reporting ensures access to good data, improving stakeholders’
ability to make evidence-based decisions. The Secretariat undertakes programme and impact monitoring, and
continued and structured reporting will avail important data on progress at national and regional levels. Monitoring and
reporting mechanisms should also be harmonised to ensure improved quality data.

Resource Mobilisation: With varied resources available across the region, central resource mobilisation ensures
allocations are fair and proportional to the needs. This includes mobilisation at national and regional levels, from the
private sector and civil society.

Technical Assistance: The Secretariat will either provide direct technical assistance where resourcing allows, or source
such assistance from stakeholders or service providers. The provision of technical assistance will ensure stakeholders
are adequately supported to implement action areas as required.

Advocacy and Outreach: Under this activity set, the Secretariat will strengthen its efforts to mobilise political, private,
and civil support for regional objectives. Actions include the development of advocacy and outreach materials,
providing both physical and digital communication and engagement platforms, and supporting Member States’ efforts.
The assumption is that SADC civil society will participate heavily in bringing about the outcomes targeted by RISDP
2020–2030.

Capacity Building: Continued focus on building the capacity of Member States will improve efficiency based on their
needs. Capacity-building assistance in the form of institutional support and individual skills development can either be
provided directly by the relevant SADC structures, or through stakeholders, ICPs, and service providers.

Development of Tools and Guidelines: Development of regional guidelines furthers regional goals in a harmonised
fashion, while providing Member States and key stakeholders with the right tools strengthens capacity-building efforts.

Effective implementation of the aforementioned activities by Member States will engender ownership of technical
knowledge as well as build the capability to deliver according to commitments. This will result in material outcomes
that will accelerate attainment of regional goals.

3.4.3 Outputs
Improved Member State Capacity and Cooperation: Adequately capacitated Member States, equipped with robust
and useful tools, are able to effectively plan, and implement national and regional objectives. They are also better able
to cooperate and share resources, minimising constraints to achieving the intended outcomes.

Increased Investment and Employment: Increased investment, both local and foreign, will result in significantly more
positive economic activity and a healthy and innovative private sector. This, in turn, results in more employment and
entrepreneurship, contributing to sustainable livelihoods, a higher standard of living, and general well-being of citizens
in the region.

Harmonised Policies and Legislation: Harmonised frameworks ensure a predictable legislative and regulatory
environment for the private sector, civil society, and the general public.

Sustainable Use of Natural Resources: Increased use of state-of-the-art technologies, coupled with sustainability
strategies and regional guidelines, will have material impacts on the well-being of people and the planet. This reduces
the negative impacts of agriculture and fisheries, as well as extractive industries, energy production, and water use, on
the region’s biodiversity and natural environment.

Competitive Regional Markets: Increased intra-regional trade, better integrated regional value chains, and regional
collaboration in production, processing, and exporting results in regions and markets that are competitive on the
global stage.

42 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

3.4.4 Antecedent Conditions and Main Assumptions
To reach this goal, the region will need to foster certain antecedent conditions embedded in the Mission Statement. Thus,
if the region creates an environment conducive to fostering regional cooperation and integration through enhanced
industrialisation, market and financial integration, infrastructure development, and high levels of human development
underpinned by political stability, peace and security, and good governance, the region will gravitate towards its
ultimate goal. This demands a concerted effort towards resource mobilisation; implementation of regional protocols,
policies, strategies, and programmes; and concurrently strengthening the compliance of Member States. Furthermore,
SADC will need to significantly magnify its footprint throughout the region, and it is presumed that enhanced visibility
and awareness will lead to greater interest, participation, and ownership of the regional integration process by citizens,
which, in turn, will galvanise the seamless cooperation and implementation of regional instruments.

To avoid intractable stagnation in the pursuit of regional integration, further assumptions identified in this Theory of
Change include:

• Policies developed will be mainstreamed into national processes.

• Member States will make financial and human resources available for implementation.
• Outstanding SADC protocols will be finalised and adopted by the Council and Summit.
• Member States will have the political will to ratify and implement protocols.
• Member States will adopt and apply regional standards and model codes once they have been developed.
• The Fourth Industrial Revolution will be pursued in a progressive manner, allowing for countries at different
technological levels to gravitate towards the desired state of play; the RISDP recognises that most SADC countries
are yet to fully realise the Third Industrial Revolution.
• Member States will meaningfully participate in regional dialogue forums.
• There will be political will to cooperate on issues of cross-border security.
• Although cross-cutting, aspects of gender, youth, and statistical development, as well as climate change and
environmental resilience, will be implemented by Member States as a matter of priority, with the full knowledge that
these are necessary components for the realisation of all other pillars.

3.5 RISDP Results Chain

The hierarchy of strategic objectives that will guide the actions of SADC under RISDP 2020–2030 is depicted in Table
4, along with the key intended outcomes in each strategic priority area.

At a strategic level, the RISDP is built on the Peace, Security, and Good Governance foundational pillar and anchored
in the following three core pillars:

• Pillar I: Industrial Development and Market Integration;

• Pillar II: Infrastructure Development in Support of Regional Integration; and
• Pillar III: Social and Human Capital Development.

The three core pillars are interlinked with Gender, Youth, Environment and Climate Change, and Disaster Risk
Management as cross-cutting Issues.

In addition, there are several interventions related to Strategic Management of the RISDP, which is an acknowledgement
that SADC needs to make some fundamental changes if the Community is to achieve its regional integration agenda.

43 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

Table 4. Strategic objectives and outcomes of RISDP 2020–2030

Pillar Strategic Objectives Outcomes

1. Enhanced conflict prevention, management, Outcome 1: Enhanced early warning systems, leading to timely
and resolution systems, with early warning and targeted monitoring and response to political, security, and
systems that are capable of tracking and socio-economic threats
monitoring political, security, and socio- Outcome 2: Enhanced regional capacity for mediation, conflict
Peace, Security, and Good Governance

economic threats prevention, and preventative diplomacy

Outcome 1: High-level political cooperation among Member States
Outcome 2: Consolidated democracy and inclusive governance in
2. Strengthened political cooperation, the region
democracy, good governance, rule of law,
Outcome 3: Enhanced regional frameworks to address
human rights, and human security
transnational organised crime
Outcome 4: Enhanced human security in Member States,
particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalised populations
Outcome 1: Increased capacity of the SADC Standby Force to
safeguard the territorial integrity of the region and conduct complex
3. An enhanced collective defence and and multidimensional peace support and humanitarian operations
security system that is capable of
safeguarding the territorial integrity of the Outcome 2: Improved regional maritime security
region
Outcome 3: High level of engagement of women and young people
in defence and peace support
1. An industrialised regional economy that Outcome 1: Enhanced competitive and facilitative environment,
is based on a competitive and facilitative which includes infrastructure, skills, and innovation
environment, which includes infrastructure Outcome 2: Enhanced industrial and value chain development
and skills, and sustainably exploits its focusing on the sectors of agro-processing, mineral beneficiation,
natural resources by leveraging science, pharmaceuticals, leather, textile and clothing, tourism, and
technology, and innovation services, resulting in inclusive industrialisation
Industrial Development and Market Integration

Outcome 3: Enhanced regional technological capability and

capacity through science, technology, and innovation
2. A transformed agricultural sector that Outcome 1: A highly productive agricultural sector
practices sustainable management of the
environment and its natural resources Outcome 2: Improved and widened market access for agricultural
and industrial products
3. Interconnected, integrated, and competitive Outcome 1: Sustainably developed SADC Blue, Green, and
Blue, Green, and Circular Economies that Circular Economies
are sustainably developed for the benefit of
all SADC citizens
4. Deepened regional market integration which Outcome 1: Increased intra-SADC and SADC extra-regional trade
is connected to the continental and global in goods and services
markets
Outcome 2: Increased trade in services in SADC
Outcome 3: Enhanced cooperation and regional coordination in
matters relating to tourism
5. Deepened financial market integration, Outcome 1: Deepened financial integration, broadened financial
monetary cooperation, and investment inclusion, and increased monetary cooperation
Outcome 2: Increased domestic, intra-regional, and foreign direct
investment
6. Enhanced macroeconomic stability and
Outcome 3: Macroeconomic convergence attained
convergence

44 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

 Pillar Strategic Objectives Outcomes

1. Quality, interconnected, integrated, and Outcome 1: Quality integrated and interconnected regional
Infrastructure Development

seamless infrastructure and networks infrastructure and networks that facilitate the movement of people,
in Support of Regional

goods, services, and knowledge

Outcome 2: Broadened competitive regional markets that are
Integration

diverse and responsive to the needs of the SADC region

2. Improved capacity for conceptualisation,
Outcome 1: Enhanced capacity to develop, operate, and maintain
design, construction, maintenance, and
the requisite regional infrastructure and services to ensure
operation of regional infrastructure and
progressive sustainability
services
3. Increased access to affordable infrastructure Outcome 1: Diversified regional infrastructure and services that are
and services financially affordable and physically accessible to all
1. Strengthened and harmonised regional Outcome 1: Improved, accessible, and responsive regional health
health systems for the provision of systems
standardised and accessible health services
Social and Human Capital Development

to all citizens and addressing threats caused Outcome 2: Enhanced investment in nutrition to address all forms
by health pandemics of malnutrition

2. Improved food and nutrition security for the

socio-economic well-being of people in the Outcome 1: Improved living standards for SADC citizens
region
3. Increased access to quality and relevant Outcome 1: Enhanced equitable access to quality and relevant
education and skills development, including education
in science and technology, for SADC Outcome 2: Enhanced skills development for regional
citizens industrialisation
4. Increased job creation with decent work
Outcome 1: Increased job creation and access to decent work
opportunities for full and productive
opportunities
employment in the region
5. Enhanced living conditions of the people
Outcome 1: Strengthened urban planning and management to
through the promotion of sustainable cities
build climate resilient cities
in the region

45 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

 Pillar Strategic Objectives Outcomes

1. Enhanced gender equality as well as Outcome 1: Increased participation of women in regional

women’s empowerment and development, development and enhanced equal access to opportunities and
and elimination of gender-based violence gender parity
Outcome 2: Strengthened gender mainstreaming at both national
and regional levels
Outcome 3: Enhanced elimination of gender-based violence
Cross-Cutting Issues: Gender, Youth, Environment and Climate Change,

2. Robust and responsive regional statistical

Outcome 1: Enhanced statistical infrastructure, systems, and
system to underpin regional integration
capacity across the region for production and effective use of
processes, including measurement of
harmonised regional statistics
progress and impact
Outcome 1: Skilled youth participating in, and driving, socio-
3. Improved youth empowerment and economic development
participation of young people and people
with disabilities in all aspects of social and Outcome 2: Enhanced participation of people with disabilities in
and Disaster Risk Management

economic development, and enhanced socio-economic development

welfare of senior citizens Outcome 3: Enhanced welfare of senior citizens
Outcome 1: Enhanced sector-based approaches towards
4. Strengthened climate change adaptation developing climate change resilience
and mitigation
Outcome 2: Reduced carbon footprint in the region
5. Improved disaster risk management in Outcome 1: Coordinated and effective response and recovery
support of regional resilience efforts to address the impact of climate change and natural
disasters, pandemics, and migratory pests
Outcome 2: Strengthened disaster risk management and
governance in the region
Outcome 3: Strengthened planning for disaster risk assessment
and preparedness
Outcome 4: Enhanced disaster risk management investments to
facilitate climate adaptation and community resilience
Outcome 5: Strengthened regional and national disaster recovery
interventions (building back better)
6. Sustainable utilisation and conservation
Outcome 1: Improved management of the environment and
of natural resources and effective
sustainable utilisation of natural resources
management of the environment
7. Increased access to quality HIV and AIDS Outcome 1: Improved quality of life of people living with HIV and
services for the realisation of an AIDS-free AIDS
generation in the region
1. Enhanced institutional effectiveness and Outcome 1: Strengthened legal, political, and institutional
efficiency frameworks to facilitate implementation of SADC’s regional
integration agenda
Outcome 2: Enhanced compliance with regional legal instruments
Strategic Management

and commitments
of the RISDP

Outcome 3: Enhanced organisational and community changes in

SADC to implement RISDP 2020–2030
2. Sustainable financing of the regional
Outcome 1: Increased potential innovative funding avenues
integration agenda
3. Enhanced monitoring, evaluation, and Outcome 1: Strengthened institutional monitoring and evaluation
reporting of RISDP 2020–2030 mechanisms
4. Enhanced visibility and awareness of Outcome 1: Strengthened SADC communication capacity to
SADC, its activities, and impact in all undertake effective communication and promotion of SADC
Member States and globally activities and impact

46 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

 Chapter
4

Priorities
...development, poverty eradication, and regional integration

Strategic Priorities
4.1 The Foundation: Peace, Security, and Good Governance
SADC’s Vision for 2050 is for the Community to remain a peaceful and stable region, enabling the further prioritisation,
pursuit, and achievement of its objectives of socio-economic development, poverty eradication, and regional integration.

The RISDP 2020-2030 aims to achieve the following strategic objectives:

Strategic Objective 1: Enhanced conflict prevention, management, and resolution systems,

with early warning systems that are capable of tracking and monitoring political, security,
and socio-economic threats

Outcome 1: Enhanced early warning systems, leading to timely and targeted monitoring and response to
political, security, and socio-economic threats
Key Interventions
1. Regional Counter-Terrorism Coordinating Centre established and operationalised.
2. Regional measures and strategies to address new, “non-traditional” security threats to the region, including
climate-induced migration, environmental hazards, and health pandemics, developed and adopted.
3. Capacity of Member States to observe and monitor indicators of insecurity, including structural factors, triggers
and accelerators of conflict, disasters, and pandemics, increased.
4. Regional rights-based approaches for addressing violent extremism and terrorism developed.

Outcome 2: Enhanced regional capacity for mediation, conflict prevention, and preventative diplomacy
Key Interventions
1. The Organ’s capacity to effectively support and facilitate peaceful resolution of disputes increased.
2. National infrastructures for peace and informal mechanisms for dialogue mediation and reconciliation in Member
States established and operational.
3. Interventions implemented in Member States to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and children,
and against adverse impacts of conflict, pandemics, and disasters on women and children.
4. Transitional justice and post-conflict reconstruction and development undertaken in Member States emerging from
conflict.

Strategic Objective 2: Strengthened political cooperation, democracy, good governance,

rule of law, human rights, and human security

Outcome 1: High-level political cooperation among Member States

Key Interventions
1. SADC foreign policy framework, defining common values to be upheld by all Member States and guiding adoption
of common foreign policy positions, developed.
2. Member States’ peer-to-peer learning and compliance monitoring mechanism on human security, peace, security,
stability, and good governance enhanced; and participation in the mechanism promoted.

47 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

Outcome 2: Consolidated democracy and inclusive governance in the region
Key Interventions
1. Member States’ progress towards implementation of SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic
Elections augmented and supported.
2. Policies and strategies on proper use of technology in consolidating democratic values and inclusive governance
in Member States implemented.
3. Cooperation and coordination with the African Peer Review Mechanism promoted.
4. Frameworks on the prevention and detection of corruption enhanced to foster accountability and implementation
of regional norms and standards against corruption.

Outcome 3: Enhanced regional frameworks to address transnational organised crime

Key Interventions
1. Regional and national capacities to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute transnational organised crimes
increased.

Outcome 4: Enhanced human security in Member States, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalised
populations
Key Interventions
1. Regional rights-based human security frameworks formulated, adopted, and implemented.
2. Capacity of Member States to safeguard food security and food sovereignty, and provide access to affordable,
healthy, and nutritious food increased.
3. Regional frameworks on the promotion of safe, secure, orderly, and dignified migration across the region developed
and implemented.

Strategic Objective 3: An enhanced collective defence and security system

that is capable of safeguarding the territorial integrity of the region

Outcome 1: Increased capacity of the SADC Standby Force to safeguard the territorial integrity of the region
and conduct complex and multidimensional peace support and humanitarian operations
Key Interventions
1. Overarching common defence policy implemented.
2. Requisite infrastructure, capacities, and technology for the SADC Standby Force enhanced.
3. Centres of Excellence and Specialisation for Collective Defence enhanced.

Outcome 2: Improved regional maritime security

Key Interventions
1. Regional Maritime Security Strategy adopted and implemented in Member States.
2. Maritime security domain awareness increased.
3. SADC Regional Fisheries Monitoring Control and Surveillance Coordination and other related mechanisms
implemented.

Outcome 3: High level of engagement of women and young people in defence and peace support
Key Interventions
1. Regional framework for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 developed.
2. Member States’ adherence to UN Security Council Resolution 2250 and AU Peace and Security Council (PSC)
Communiqué 807 relating to youth, peace, and security promoted.

48 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

4.2 Pillar 1: Industrial Development and Market Integration
SADC’s Vision for 2050 is for the region to be an industrialised and integrated Community, where citizens equitably
benefit from the opportunities of a stable regional market that is commensurate with the AU’s Accelerated Industrial
Development for Africa (AIDA), Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA), African Mining Vision
(AMV), Boosting Intra-African Trade (BIAT), and Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme; and is
well integrated into the broader African Continental Free Trade Area.

The RISDP 2020–2030 aims to achieve the following strategic objectives:

Strategic Objective 1: An industrialised regional economy that is based on a competitive and facilitative
environment, which includes infrastructure and skills, and sustainably exploits its natural resources
by leveraging science, technology, and innovation

Outcome 1: Enhanced competitiveness and facilitative environment, which includes infrastructure, skills, and
innovation
Key Interventions
1. Participation of key strategic stakeholders, including the private sector, to support industrial productivity and
competitiveness improved.
2. Business and investment environment improved.
3. Key strategic stakeholders identified and capacitated.
4. Ratification and enforcement of the Protocol on Industry accelerated.

Outcome 2: Enhanced Industrial and value chain development focusing on the sectors of agro-processing,
mineral beneficiation, pharmaceuticals, leather, textile and clothing, tourism, and services, resulting in inclusive
industrialisation
Key Interventions
1. Capacities and capabilities of small- and medium-sized enterprises to participate in industrialisation and regional
value chains increased
2. Public-private partnerships to participate in the industrialisation agenda promoted.
3. Regional/global value chains and value-addition strategies and programmes for the priority value chain clusters
developed and implemented.
4. Instruments to support competitiveness of SADC goods and services developed and implemented.
5. SADC Regional Mining Vision and Action Plan contained in the Protocol on Mining reviewed and implemented.
6. SADC Raw Material Initiative/Strategy developed and implemented.

Outcome 3: Enhanced regional technological capability and capacity through science, technology, and
innovation
Key Interventions
1. Regional frameworks to support and enhance skills, innovation, and technology transfer developed and
implemented.
2. SADC Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology Organisation established.
3. Regional Intellectual Property Framework implemented through regional support programmes.
4. Regional Strategy on the Fourth Industrial Revolution developed and implemented.
5. R&D as a percentage of GDP increased.

49 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

 Strategic Objective 2: A transformed agricultural sector that practices sustainable management
of the environment and its natural resources

Outcome 1: A highly productive agricultural sector

Key Interventions
1. Regional Agricultural Policy and the Regional Agricultural Investment Plan implemented and monitored.
2. Private sector participation and investment in the implementation of the RAP and RAIP promoted, with particular
attention to formally and regularly engaging micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) throughout RAP
implementation.
3. Implementation of regional crop and livestock development programmes monitored, including regional strategies/
guidelines to address inputs, transboundary crop/animal pests, and diseases, and the AU Framework on Land
Policy.
4. Sharing of research, information, and best practice promoted to upgrade agro-industrial production processes,
improve quality, and modernise production systems.
5. Measures to help farmers adapt to and, where possible, mitigate climate change effects implemented.
6. Key initiatives – namely, (a) Sustainability Strategy for the Regional Plant and Animal Genetic Resource Centres;
(b) strategies to reduce plant and animal genetic erosion; (c) harmonisation of at least one piece of legislation
on access, and use of, plant genetic resources (PGR) and animal genetic resources (AnGR) in the region; and
(d) sharing of generated PGR and AnGR knowledge and information to all Member States – implemented and
monitored.
7. Functionality and sustainability of National Early Warning Systems and National Vulnerability Assessment
Committees for Food and Nutrition Security at national and regional levels strengthened.

Outcome 2: Improved and widened market access for agricultural and industrial products
Key Interventions
1. Strategic programmes that enhance the competitiveness of SADC agricultural and industrial products, in terms of
internationally acceptable standards and harmonisation of health standards, developed and strengthened.
2. Regulatory frameworks for the transboundary movement, handling, and use of genetically modified and living
modified organisms developed and implemented.

Strategic Objective 3: Interconnected, integrated, and competitive Blue, Green, and Circular Economies
that are sustainably developed for the benefit of all SADC citizens

Outcome 1: Sustainably developed SADC Blue, Green, and Circular Economies

Key Interventions
1. SADC Green Growth Strategy and Action Plan, including the Waste Management Programme, operationalised.
2. SADC Blue Economy Strategy developed and operationalised.
3. A regional Circular Economy strategy developed.

Strategic Objective 4: Deepened regional market integration which is connected

to the continental and global markets

Outcome 1: Increased intra-SADC and SADC extra-regional trade in goods and services
Key Interventions
1. SADC Free Trade Area consolidated.
2. SADC FTA linked to the Tripartite Free Trade Area, African Continental Free Trade Area, and other multilateral trade
agreements.
3. Strategic cross-border trade instruments to facilitate increased trade by MSMEs developed.
4. Regional competition policy and model law developed and implemented.
5. Review of the SADC Rules of Origin finalised.
6. Export promotion strategy developed and implemented.

50 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

Outcome 2: Increased trade in services in SADC
Key Interventions
1. Protocol on Trade in Services ratified and implemented.
2. Instruments that facilitate trade in the services sector, particularly those that support industrialisation; health;
science, technology, and innovation; and financial services, developed and implemented.
3. Regulatory frameworks for trade in services harmonised.

Outcome 3: Enhanced cooperation and regional coordination on matters relating to tourism

Key Interventions
1. SADC Protocol on Tourism revised to take into account the new institutional set-up for the promotion of regional
tourism.
2. Regional platform to facilitate regional cooperation on matters related to tourism established.
3. Transfrontier conservation areas (including coastal and marine parts) to boost cross-border tourism to TFCAs
developed and implemented.
4. Instruments to enhance the resilience of the tourism industry to disasters and pandemics developed.

Strategic Objective 5: Deepened financial market integration,

monetary cooperation, and investment

Outcome 1: Deepened financial integration, broadened financial inclusion, and increased monetary cooperation
Key Interventions
1. Regional financial and monetary cooperation enhanced.
2. Capital and development finance mobilisation enhanced.
3. Legal and regulatory frameworks for promotion of the financial services sector harmonised.

Outcome 2: Increased domestic, intra-regional, and foreign direct investment

Key Interventions
1. A conducive environment for intra-SADC and foreign direct investment promoted.
2. Cooperation in taxation and related matters enhanced.

Strategic Objective 6: Enhanced macroeconomic stability and convergence

Outcome 1: Macroeconomic convergence attained

Key Interventions
1. Stability-oriented economic policies implemented.
2. Domestic revenue mobilisation enhanced.
3. Fiscal and monetary policies consolidated.
4. Peer review and surveillance of the Macroeconomic Convergence Programme strengthened.

51 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

4.3 Pillar 2: Infrastructure Development in Support of Regional Integration
SADC’s Vision for 2050 is for the region to have efficient and effective, technologically-driven cross-border infrastructure
services and networks to support and facilitate deeper regional integration.

The RISDP 2020–2030 aims to achieve the following strategic objectives:

Strategic Objective 1: Quality, interconnected, integrated, and seamless infrastructure and networks

Outcome 1: Quality, integrated, and interconnected regional infrastructure and networks that facilitate the
movement of people, goods, services, and knowledge
Key Interventions
1. Quality, integrated, and interconnected infrastructure networks and services improved, taking into account the
infrastructure needs of island states.
2. Interconnected and interoperable regional development corridors that support effective intermodal transport
operations enhanced.
3. Policies, strategies, and initiatives in support of cross-border infrastructure and services harmonised.
4. Policies and regulatory frameworks to stimulate local and foreign sustainable investment in infrastructure promoted.
5. Policies and regulatory frameworks to capacitate regional development finance institutions to invest in infrastructure
promoted.

Outcome 2: Broadened competitive regional markets that are diverse and responsive to the needs of the SADC
region
Key Interventions
1. Regional frameworks for creating an enabling environment for fair and equitable market competition among service
providers strengthened.
2. Competitive practices in infrastructure networks and services in Member States enforced.
3. Regional, tripartite, continental, and international agreements aligned to ensure integrated approaches that
optimise synergies for the development of infrastructure and services in the region.

Strategic Objective 2: Improved capacity for conceptualisation, design, construction,

maintenance, and operation of regional infrastructure and services

Outcome 1: Enhanced capacity to develop, operate, and maintain the requisite regional infrastructure and
services to ensure progressive sustainability
Key Interventions
1. Regional framework to promote private sector and MSME involvement in the construction, maintenance, and
operation of regional infrastructure developed and implemented.
2. Regional subsidiary organisations for the ICT, energy, meteorology, transport, and water sectors established and
capacitated and/or strengthened.

Strategic Objective 3: Increased access to affordable infrastructure and services

Outcome 1: Diversified regional infrastructure and services that are financially affordable and physically
accessible to all
Key Interventions
1. Accessibility to affordable universal communications services through use of appropriate technology increased.
2. Access to affordable renewable energy, through implementing the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
Strategy and Action Plan (REEESAP), increased.
3. Delivery of cost-effective and diversified energy, through implementing the Regional Energy Access and Strategic
Action Plan 2020–2030 action plans, increased.
4. Access to affordable and clean water, through implementing the SADC Regional Water Supply and Sanitation
Programme, increased.
5. Interventions in urban transport and mobility to mitigate the impacts of rural-urban migration, due to rapid pace of
industrialisation, developed and implemented.

52 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

4.4 Pillar 3: Social and Human Capital Development
SADC’s Vision for 2050 is for the Community a have a high quality of life, in which its citizens are well educated and
enjoy long, healthy, and productive lives that reinforce the link between economic growth and sustainable human
development, in order to end poverty in all its forms.

The RISDP 2020–2030 aims to achieve the following strategic objectives:

Strategic Objective 1: Strengthened and harmonised regional health systems for the
provision of standardised and accessible health services to all citizens
and addressing threats caused by health pandemics

Outcome 1: Improved, accessible, and responsive regional health systems

Key Interventions
1. Regional initiatives on the elimination of malaria and control of tuberculosis, and other programmes on non-
communicable diseases implemented.
2. Health systems strengthened, with a focus on improving access to health service delivery.
3. Regional programmes that enhance harmonisation and coordination of public health matters to improve service
delivery in Member States established.
4. Multi-sectoral approaches and partnerships strengthened to enhance health outcomes and linkages beyond the
health sector for effective responses to diseases of regional concern, including pandemics and their impacts.

Outcome 2: Enhanced investment in nutrition to address all forms of malnutrition

Key Interventions
1. Regional minimum standards for food fortification to address all forms of malnutrition developed.
2. Nutrition interventions, including micronutrient supplementation and dietary diversity, targeting vulnerable women
of reproductive age, young children, adolescents, and the population at large implemented.
3. Regional policy guidance and support provided for implementing nutrition programmes targeting school-aged
children, including school feeding programmes, as part of social safety nets for the most vulnerable children.

Strategic Objective 2: Improved food and nutrition security for the socio-economic
well-being of people in the region

Outcome 1: Improved living standards for SADC citizens

Key Interventions
1. Analysis of poverty trends improved, poverty reduction strategies implemented, and a resource plan and
sustainability strategy developed for the Regional Poverty Observatory Steering Committee.
2. SADC Regional Poverty Reduction Framework adopted, implemented, and aligned to national poverty reduction
strategies and regional interventions.
3. Regional Food Financial Reserve Facility established and resourced to enhance the region’s response to food
emergencies.

Strategic Objective 3: Increased access to quality and relevant education and skills development,
including in science and technology, for SADC citizens

Outcome 1: Enhanced equitable access to quality and relevant education

Key Interventions
1. Universal access to education promoted for sustainable development, taking into account aspects of gender
equality, human rights, and global citizenship.
2. Implementation of the SADC Qualifications Framework enhanced.
3. Open distance learning strategies in Member States to promote greater access to education at all levels, including
in the context of unforeseen disruptions, implemented.

53 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

Outcome 2: Enhanced skills development for regional industrialisation
Key Interventions
1. SADC Virtual University of Transformation established and operationalised to enable curricula harmonisation,
knowledge generation, and skills development for economic development, including through beneficiation of
natural resources.
2. A multi-sectoral skills development framework to support industrialisation, including through enhanced technical
and vocational education and training, as well as apprenticeship and internship programmes, involving the private
sector, developed and implemented.
3. SADC citizens’ digital skills developed to empower them to benefit from the changing nature of work and the rise
of the digital economy, leveraging on infrastructure development in the region.
4. Acquisition of skills, competences, and qualifications, ensuring that education and training systems are responsive
to labour market needs and the evolution of work, promoted.

Strategic Objective 4: Increased job creation with decent work opportunities for full
and productive employment in the region

Outcome 1: Increased job creation and access to decent work opportunities

Key Interventions
1. Holistic decent work agenda promoted and implemented, prioritising job creation and access to productive
employment opportunities for young people.
2. Protocol on Employment and Labour developed.
3. Social security systems improved to enable progressive extension of adequate coverage for all workers.
4. Regional and national social dialogue mechanisms involving tripartite cooperation between governments,
employers, and workers strengthened to foster industrial and labour market stability.
5. SADC Labour Migration Action Plan to enhance labour mobility implemented.

Strategic Objective 5: Enhanced living conditions of the people

through the promotion of sustainable cities in the region

Outcome 1: Strengthened urban planning and management to build climate resilient cities
Key Interventions
1. An integrated and inclusive regional eco-city sustainability strategy developed and implemented.
2. A monitoring, evaluation, and reporting system of the eco-city sustainability strategy fully integrated into the SADC
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting System.

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4.5 Cross-Cutting Issues: Gender, Youth, Environment and Climate Change,
and Disaster Risk Management
The socio-economic transformation of the SADC region, along with sustained peace and security, is dependent on a
number of issues that cut right across each of the aforementioned pillars. These aspects are central to ensuring that the
formulation, deliberation, adoption, and implementation of regional protocols, strategies, policies, and programmes,
underpinned by critical existing instruments such as the Protocol on Gender and Development and the Regional
Strategy for Development of Statistics, are undertaken in a manner that does not marginalise sections of SADC’s
population.

The RISDP 2020–2030 aims to achieve the following strategic objectives:

Strategic Objective 1: Enhanced gender equality as well as women’s empowerment and development,
and elimination of gender-based violence

Outcome 1: Increased participation of women in regional development and enhanced equal access to
opportunities and gender parity
Key Interventions
1. Implementation of prioritised areas of the Protocol on Gender and Development accelerated.
2. Policies on equal access to benefits from development resources, services, and opportunities implemented.
3. Strengthening of leadership skills of young women, and creation of a cadre of transformative young women leaders.
4. Women in leadership in political and decision-making promoted, for the attainment of gender parity.

Outcome 2: Strengthened gender mainstreaming at both national and regional levels

Key Interventions
1. SADC Protocol on Gender and Development domesticated as a measure to ensure promotion of women’s
empowerment.
2. A monitoring, evaluation, and reporting system to ensure effective gender mainstreaming is fully integrated into the
SADC Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting System.

Outcome 3: Enhanced elimination of gender-based violence

Key Interventions
1. Implementation of the SADC Regional Gender-Based Violence Strategy and Framework for Action intensified.
2. A monitoring, evaluation, and reporting system for the Regional Gender-Based Violence Strategy and Framework
for Action is fully integrated into the SADC Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting System.

Strategic Objective 2: Robust and responsive regional statistical systems to underpin regional
integration processes, including measurement of progress and impact

Outcome 1: Enhanced statistical infrastructure, systems, and capacity across the region for production and
effective use of harmonised regional statistics
Key Interventions
1. Policy and legal frameworks for coordination of regional statistics in the region developed and implemented.
2. Responsiveness, efficiency, and effectiveness of the regional statistical system improved.
3. Capacity across the entire data value chain of the regional statistical system strengthened.
4. A comprehensive methodology and/or statistical system for the collection of gender disaggregated data at national
and regional levels developed.

Strategic Objective 3: Improved youth empowerment and participation of young people and people
with disabilities in all aspects of social and economic development, and enhanced welfare of senior citizens

Outcome 1: Skilled youth participating in, and driving, socio-economic development

Key Interventions
1. SADC Youth Forum strengthened to shape the development of policies and other agendas with a specific focus
on youth.

55 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

2. SADC Youth Programme adopted and implemented by Member States, in line with the 2015 SADC Declaration on
Youth Development and Empowerment.
3. Policy interventions on MSME initiation, growth, and sustainability developed to stimulate employment and
entrepreneurship opportunities for youth.
4. Empowerment of youth through targeted social, economic, and technological development initiatives.

Outcome 2: Enhanced participation of people with disabilities in socio-economic development

Key Interventions
1. Disability-sensitive policies and legislation developed and implemented.
2. Social protection strategy for people with disabilities developed and implemented.
3. Disability issues mainstreamed in all sectors and programmes, including in decision-making processes.

Outcome 3: Enhanced welfare of senior citizens

Key Interventions
1. Regional framework to address the needs of elderly persons developed and implemented.
2. Programmes to recognise the contribution of elderly persons as people with skills and expertise implemented.

Strategic Objective 4: Strengthened climate change adaptation and mitigation

Outcome 1: Enhanced sector-based approaches towards developing climate change resilience

Key Interventions
1. Appropriate meteorological technologies capable of serving the needs of the region strengthened.
2. SADC Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan and other regional and international instruments operationalised.
3. Tripartite Programme on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaption (TPCCMA) and SADC’s Climate Change
Adaption Strategy (CCAS) for the water sector implemented.
4. Use of climate-smart techniques and technological advancements promoted.
5. Strategies for sustainable environment and natural resource management promoted.
6. Climate proofing strategies for all climate-sensitive sectors developed and implemented.
7. Regional codes that mainstream climate change strategies and the efficient use of resources developed.
8. M&E mechanisms to anticipate and measure climate-related risks promoted and upgraded.

Outcome 2: Reduced carbon footprint in the region

Key Interventions
1. SADC Regional Green Economy Strategy (SRGES) and Action Plan implemented.
2. Employment creation opportunities for green jobs in the climate mitigation sector promoted.
3. Implementation of mitigation plans and strategies by Member States promoted.

Strategic Objective 5: Improved disaster risk management in support of regional resilience

Outcome 1: Coordinated and effective response and recovery efforts to address the impact of climate change
and natural disasters, pandemics, and migratory pests.
Key Interventions
1. SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre (SHOC) and related structures for coordinating the
organisation’s emergency response and humanitarian assistance operationalised.
2. Regional disaster response and recovery infrastructure to enhance climate change adaptation developed and
implemented.
3. Tools and programmes for the management of pandemics and migratory pests developed, harmonised, and
implemented in Member States.
4. Cooperation and coordination with the African Risk Capacity (ARC), the AU’s Africa Centres for Disease Control
and Prevention (Africa CDC), and the International Red Locust Control Organisation, as well as other regional and
international partner organisations, enhanced.

56 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

Outcome 2: Strengthened disaster risk management and governance in the region
Key Interventions
1. Instruments and tools developed to facilitate disaster risk reduction and risk governance in development sectors.
2. Mutual learning, knowledge building, and exchange of information on climate and disaster risk management promoted.
3. Mechanisms for identification, assessment, and monitoring of disaster risks, including data and information management,
developed and implemented.

Outcome 3: Strengthened planning for disaster risk assessment and preparedness

Key Interventions
1. Standardised multi-hazard planning approaches and tools for regional disaster risk assessments developed and
implemented.
2. Investments in climate and disaster risk readiness capacities in early warning mechanisms, planning, and
management promoted.

Outcome 4: Enhanced disaster risk management investments to facilitate climate adaptation and community
resilience
Key Interventions
1. Coordinated and adequately resourced preparedness and response mechanisms promoted.
2. Innovative instruments and solutions in disaster risk management practices and networks developed.
3. Policy frameworks for resettlement of persons displaced by natural disasters developed and implemented.

Outcome 5: Strengthened regional and national disaster recovery interventions (building back better)
Key Interventions
1. Harmonised policies, strategies, guidelines, and regulatory frameworks for disaster risk recovery developed,
implemented, and reviewed.
2. Collaborative mechanisms among stakeholders and networks to enhance resilience building to disasters promoted.

Strategic Objective 6: Sustainable utilisation and conservation of natural resources

and effective management of the environment

Outcome 1: Improved management of the environment and sustainable utilisation of natural resources
Key Interventions
1. Ratification and domestication of the SADC Protocol on Environmental Management promoted.
2. Compliance with prioritised Multilateral Environment Agreements monitored.
3. Domestication and implementation of Protocols and Strategies on Forestry, Fisheries, Mining, Wildlife Conservation,
and Shared Watercourses promoted.
4. Transboundary natural resources sustainably managed and conserved.
5. Transfrontier conservation areas developed and sustainably managed.

Strategic Objective 7: Increased access to quality HIV and AIDS services

for the realisation of an AIDS-free generation in the region

Outcome 1: Improved quality of life of people living with HIV and AIDS
Key Interventions
1. Policies on the HIV care continuum to improve quality, access, monitoring, and treatment coverage, as well as to
ensure continuity of care for migrants and other mobile populations, harmonised.
2. Integration and mainstreaming of HIV and AIDS in core functions of various sectors at all levels promoted.
3. Implementation of high impact interventions for the prevention and mitigation of HIV and AIDS and other
communicable diseases strengthened.
4. Implementation of regional HIV and AIDS prevention strategies to address emerging issues affecting key
populations accelerated.

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 Chapter
5

Management
...operating as a coherent and collective body

Strategic Management of the RISDP

5.1 Legal, Policy, and Institutional Frameworks
To operate as a functional and effective regional economic community, SADC must have in place the necessary
mechanisms and infrastructure to ensure that Member States can function as a coherent and collective body in pursuit
of the regional integration agenda. RISDP 2020–2030 takes cognisance of the existing legal, policy, and institutional
frameworks; and aims to enhance and facilitate implementation through strengthening and maximising institutional
synergies amongst the stakeholders to achieve efficiency in resource use.

The SADC region’s legal framework is underpinned by the SADC Treaty as amended and the SADC Protocols. The
treaty sets out the region’s main objectives and specifies that they are to be achieved through increased regional
integration built on democratic principles, and equitable and sustainable development. It constitutes both a statement
of intent and of resolve to overcome the burden of history, and to acknowledge the immense benefits of regional
economic integration. It is supported by the Protocols that aim to enshrine the Community’s objectives, by providing
codes of procedure and practice on issues, as agreed by Member States. These are important as legally binding
instruments that commit Member States to the objectives and specific procedures stated in them. Many of the RISDP
2020–2030 targets rely on the compliance of Member States with, and full implementation of, the Protocols.

The RISDP is the overarching strategic framework for the SADC region’s development. Its purpose is to deepen
regional integration amongst SADC Member States and facilitate the medium-term implementation of its socio-
economic policies, to which end policy documents are drafted. New policy documents are drafted in response to
opportunities and challenges that present themselves, and as existing policy documents near the end of their lifetime
new opportunities and challenges need to be considered in their next iterations.

Eight key institutions were established under Article 9, to promote political integration and advance democratic
governance. The principal organs driving regional economic integration are the Summit, made up of Heads of State
and Government; the Troika; the Council of Ministers; the Sectoral Ministerial Committees; the Tribunal; SADC National
Committees; the Standing Committee of Officials; and the Secretariat.

The RISDP 2020–2030 aims to achieve the following strategic objective:

Strategic Objective 1: Enhanced institutional effectiveness and efficiency

Outcome 1: Strengthened legal, policy, and institutional frameworks to facilitate implementation of SADC’s
regional integration agenda
Key Interventions
1. SADC institutions at national and regional levels capacitated.
2. Non-state actors engagement mechanism adopted and implemented.

Outcome 2: Enhanced compliance with regional legal instruments and commitments

Key Interventions
1. Dispute settlement mechanism established.
2. A mechanism to ensure compliance with legal instruments and commitments established.

58 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

Outcome 3: Enhanced organisational and community changes in SADC to implement RISDP 2020–2030
Key Interventions
1. Change management framework developed.
2. Change management strategy developed, adopted, and implemented.

5.2 Sustainable Funding Strategy

One of the major prerequisites for successful and sustainable strategy implementation is reliable, predictable,
and steady flow of financial resources. However, a key challenge that still faces SADC today is an ever-expanding
integration agenda in the face of limited resources available for the fulfilment of this agenda. Article 25(1) of the SADC
Treaty provides for the Community being responsible for mobilisation of resources. SADC should, therefore, increase
its efforts towards the mobilisation of resources for the implementation of projects and programmes.

The RISDP 2020–2030 aims at achieving the following strategic objective:

Strategic Objective 2: Sustainable financing of the regional integration agenda

Outcome 1: Increased potential innovative funding avenues

Key Interventions
1. SADC Resource Mobilisation Framework operationalised.
2. Regional Development Fund operationalised.

5.3 Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

Monitoring of the RISDP will be a continuous function to provide the main stakeholders, including at the policy level,
with early indications of progress, or its lack thereof, in the achievement of strategic objectives, outcomes, and outputs.
Progress towards results shall be measured using the identified indicators to ensure in-depth and evidence-based
reporting to inform decision-making. Evaluation will be conducted periodically to systematically and objectively assess
progress made towards achievement of RISDP outcomes. Reporting will be conducted periodically, through the SADC
Online Monitoring and Evaluation System, to continually inform the Secretariat, Member States, and other stakeholders
of progress made, challenges, and mitigation measures being put in place towards achievement of set outputs and
targets.

Strategic Objective 3: Enhanced monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of RISDP 2020–2030

Outcome 1: Strengthened institutional monitoring and evaluation mechanisms

Key Interventions:
1. Capacity of monitoring, evaluation, and reporting at regional and national levels enhanced.
1. Access and use of the SADC Online Monitoring and Evaluation System at the Secretariat and Member States levels
improved.

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5.4 Communication, Visibility, and Awareness
Communication, visibility, and awareness are critical aspects of the successful implementation of RISDP 2020–2030.
The strategic plan will require enhanced visibility and awareness as a means to trigger and maintain the interest,
awareness, and participation of the SADC citizenry and Member State officials responsible for driving the regional
integration agenda. In this regard, communication activities that are aligned to SADC Vision 2050 and the priority pillars
of the strategic plan, as well as interventions aimed at strengthening SADC’s strategic communication capacity and
increasing understanding and awareness of SADC, its value proposition, its activities, and its impact, in all Member
States and globally will be developed and implemented.

The RISDP 2020–2030 aims to achieve the following strategic objective:

Strategic Objective 4: Enhanced visibility and awareness of SADC, its activities,

and impact in all Member States and globally

Outcome 1: Strengthened SADC strategic communication capacity to undertake effective communication and
promotion of SADC activities and impact
Key Interventions
1. Regional and national SADC strategic communication capacity to undertake effective communication and
promotion of SADC strengthened.
2. Integrated communication campaigns about SADC, its value proposition, its activities, and its impact developed
and implemented.
3. Multimedia corporate communication tools to facilitate promotion of SADC Vision 2050, RISDP 2020–2030, and
opportunities thereof developed and disseminated to targeted audiences.
4. SADC brand protection implemented.

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Annex 1:
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats Analysis

Strengths Weaknesses

Population and demographic profile: In 2018, the total Slow ratification and domestication of certain protocols:
population size was estimated at 344.8 million inhabitants across Member States face different barriers regarding the consideration
the 16 Member States, accounting for 32% of the sub-Saharan and adoption of some Protocols and Action Plans and often, even
African population and 4.5% of the world population (according to where approval has been secured, operational implementation
the World Bank in 2019). At its current growth rate, the population lags behind.
is projected to reach 947.3 million persons by 2065 (according to
the UN in 2017). Limited financial resources to implement regional and
national programmes: This challenge is carried over
Rich cultural heritage: The SADC region has a rich natural and from previous RISDPs and is compounded by the region’s
cultural heritage, with some of the world’s best World Heritage dependence on ICPs. It is likely that these financial resource
Sites such as the Victoria Falls and the Serengeti National Park in constraints will only worsen as the full ramifications of COVID-19
Tanzania. These sites offer a variety of options for socio-economic filter through to local, regional, continental, and global economic
growth for the region, including tourism and infrastructure spheres.
development. In addition to the natural heritage sites, the region
boasts diverse cultural traditions. Limited capacity to coordinate the execution of regional
and national programmes: At Member State level, weak or
Natural resource base: This is of strategic importance and inadequate national coordination structures reportedly account
includes ocean and river fish, oil and natural gas, minerals and for a lot of Member States’ limited progress in implementing
metals, productive agricultural land, ample renewable energy agreed programmes.
resources such as hydro, solar, geothermal, wind, etc.; in a
world concerned with global warming and climate change, Lack of/inadequate/poorly maintained infrastructure: The
these resources have the potential to play an even bigger role in lack of infrastructure and/or poorly maintained infrastructure is a
SADC’s quest for industrial development. weakness of strategic importance. Realisation of the objectives of
the SADC Treaty and the RISDP, such as the movement of goods
Established and functional regional organs and institutions: and people, depends on the quality of infrastructure available to
The presence and ability of these is critical as they, alongside make this a reality, such as roads, airports, railway lines, sea and
the Member States, have been the driving forces of the progress water ports, and inland ports of entry.
and advances made in pursuit of the regional integration agenda
since the establishment of the Community. This means the region Lack of reliable and quality data: The non-availability to critical
is well placed to leverage the experience, sectoral expertise, and regional stakeholders of reports and analysis from monitoring
institutional memory that are required in future. and evaluation, as well as lack of M&E systems on all change
initiatives and programmes being implemented, is a weakness of
Agriculture: This is the mainstay of the SADC economy, strategic importance, as is the relative lack of reliable and quality
contributing 35% to its GDP; about 70% of the SADC population data to anchor evidence-based planning and reporting at national
depend on agriculture for food, income, and employment; and and regional levels.
it contributes about 13% to total export earnings and about
66% to the value of intra-regional trade. The agricultural sector Barriers to ease of doing business: Many Member States
is important as a source of feedstock as the region strives to do not have business regulations and environments in place
transform itself into an industrialised community. that promote and facilitate the establishment and growth of
businesses and attract investment. These compromise both the
Free movement of goods and services: Member State growth potential for the affected Member States and regional
commitment and political will to achieve these, along with shared integration prospects for the region at large.
economic development and regional integration is another
important enabler. While movement towards the dream of Macroeconomic instabilities: Some countries are also battling
economic development and integration, as stated in the SADC with these, as manifested in low and volatile rates of economic
Treaty, has been slower than desired, Member States, as an growth, low levels of capital formation, low levels of public capital
individual bloc, as well as part of the broader AU community of spending due to lack of public savings, and inefficient utilisation of
nations, remain committed to the ideals of regional development foreign capital inflows (and large levels of capital outflows). High
and integration. inflation rates have long plagued some Member States, and the
region as a whole will be negatively impacted by the increased
Political stability: The region continues to be relatively stable macroeconomic instability caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
despite some instances of intra-state conflict. This is partly a
function of the bilateral and multi-lateral mechanisms established Severe and persistent droughts: These have plagued the
in the region, such as the primary institutional mechanism, the region in recent years and are associated with negative impacts
SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation. on livelihoods, food shortages, and strained local economies.
Peace and stability are the accepted sine qua non for the Extensive efforts have been made in the past to improve
successful delivery of industrial and infrastructure development responses to periods of extensive drought and limit their impact.
initiatives to benefit the citizens of SADC.
Limited visibility of SADC: This has been cited as one of the
main challenges for achieving ownership of regional programmes
and projects by citizens of the region. It has been noted that
SADC, as an institution and its various programmes, are usually
only known by the officials who are directly involved in their
implementation. The majority of the citizens do not know much
about the work done by SADC and the benefits of belonging to
the regional organisation.

61 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

 Opportunities Threats

Population structure: As mentioned above, SADC’s large Differences in levels of development: This has been one of the
population is an important potential market for goods and main threats to efforts to fast-track the implementation of SADC
services; its age structure creates a window of opportunity programmes and projects, as some Member States have felt that
provided the economically active population continues to outstrip they will be disadvantaged if the principle of differential symmetry
the non-active. is not applied in terms of contributions and safety nets.

Approved agreements, protocols, and action plans: While Multiple memberships in regional economic communities: A
further harmonisation of policies, standards, and guidelines is number of countries belong to more than one REC, some of which
an opportunity for continued progress, the areas that have been have conflicting integration targets and milestones.
finalised show that the region has taken the first few steps and
does not have to start from scratch. Where progress has already Potential for intra-state conflicts: This is a key threat with
been registered, the experience of the respective Member States potential for a ripple effect on economic activity and migration.
provides an opportunity for others to learn accordingly. Peace, security, and stability are the necessary preconditions
for state, regional, and global development. The SADC Vision
Natural resource base: This offers a vast opportunity for the recognises that violent conflicts lead to instability and crumbling
region to implement interventions that will improve food security, of state structures, capacities, and resources, which results in
create employment, and grow the region’s economies. These a vicious cycle of underdevelopment and local, regional, and
opportunities must, however, still be looked at through the lens of international insecurity and instability.
demand patterns for products and services post-COVID-19, as
commodity prices and demand going forward will be suppressed, Poverty, unemployment, and inequality: These constitute a
given the likely global recession. major threat because poor service delivery, unemployment, and
poverty may easily morph into violent demonstrations, igniting
Global and continental initiatives: Vast opportunities exist with instability.
respect to initiatives that are being rolled out in support of the
African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations’ Sustainable Disease outbreaks and endemic health issues: The COVID-19
Development Goals. pandemic and HIV/AIDS (which is now under control in most of
SADC) as well as Ebola have shown that adequate preparation
Developments in technology: These provide yet-to-be for future communicable disease outbreaks is of great strategic
harvested opportunities to ramp up productive capacity and importance.
service delivery in learning, communication, or automation of
production processes. The deployment of innovative 4IR and Global-scale macroeconomic disruptions: These are also
artificial intelligence (AI)-related technologies is an opportunity a clear threat to the implementation of RISDP 2020–2030. The
that also speaks to the need for appropriate skills, including financial meltdown of 2008 had long-lasting effects, and some
digital literacy across the region. sectors and Member States never completely rebounded to
pre-crisis growth. COVID-19 has the potential to be equally, if not
Further diversification and attracting foreign direct more, damaging to economies.
investment: In the traditional sense, SADC’s growing economy
brings opportunities for both of these to activate some of the Impact of economic growth on the environment: Over the
initiatives and infrastructure development endeavours. Perhaps, last few decades, rapid uneven economic growth has visited an
as with all the other opportunities cited, the trajectory of the global insurmountable toll upon the planet’s environment and natural
economy post-COVID-19 will mostly influence the extent to which resource base, and the need to avoid the acute impacts of global
these opportunities can be realised. warming is increasingly pressing. The impacts of climate change
are already evident in the region, with recurrent droughts, floods,
Domestic resources mobilisation: This provides another and cyclones adversely affecting economic performance, food
opportunity that the region will seek to exploit going forward. security, and the livelihoods of SADC citizens.
Mobilising domestic resources, from both the public and private
sectors, is central to the success of both the region and the Weak institutions in the management of governance and
continent in achieving the priorities of the RISDP, Agenda 2063, corruption: These have also been identified as threats of
and the SDGs. Remittances from the region’s diaspora citizens strategic importance.
and African pension funds are resources that could be tapped in
an innovative and sustainable manner to advance Member State Rising geopolitical tensions: These represent an important
development. external threat that needs to be taken cognisance of, particularly
in light of the negative impacts the region may experience should
tensions escalate uncontrollably. Two of the key developments
fuelling the rise in geopolitical tensions across the globe are
trade wars, as nations compete for market dominance and
prestige, and the rise in nationalistic sentiments that has
fuelled increasingly inward-looking policies. These are likely
to result in international supply chain disruption, falls in prices
of commodities, and lower demand for SADC products in
international markets.

62 | SADC RISDP 2020–2030

 Southern African Development Community
(SADC)
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@2020 SADC Secretariat