By Akani Nkuna
South Africa will push to more than double trade between Southern African countries to 50% as it assumes the SADC chairship for 2026/27.
Speaking at the SADC Council of Ministers meeting in Durban on Wednesday, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola said trade between countries in the bloc currently accounted for only about a “modest” 20%, despite significant untapped opportunities for regional commerce.
“During our tenure, we will ensure the implementation of our Skukuza retreat objectives to achieve 50 percent intra-SADC trade and harnessing of critical minerals for beneficiation at source.”
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Lamola formally accepted the SADC chairpersonship for 2026/27 at Wednesday’s meeting, saying South Africa viewed the position as a collective regional responsibility rather than a mandate belonging to one country.
Accelerating industrialisation is one of four strategic priorities South Africa has identified for its chairship, alongside peace and security, regional infrastructure development, and strengthening social and human capital.
Lamola said industrialisation would be driven through agricultural transformation, increased regional trade, regional value chains and greater beneficiation of critical minerals.
“We will pay special attention to accelerating industrialisation through agricultural transformation, critical minerals beneficiation, increased regional trade and the development of regional value chains,” he said.
He said the growing global demand for critical minerals offered Southern Africa a significant economic opportunity.
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Nearly 30% of the world’s proven critical mineral reserves are located in the region, including approximately half of global cobalt reserves and 20% of graphite reserves, Lamola said.
But he added that the region had historically failed to capture enough of the economic benefits generated by its natural resources.
“We know from earlier chapters in our unfolding story that our region’s wealth has nourished economies far and wide, while our own economies have remained trapped in old patterns of extractive accumulation.”
“Reversing this pattern requires us to beneficiate our resources, build regional value chains and trade more with one another.”
“Infrastructure will form another pillar of South Africa’s SADC chairship, with Lamola identifying reliable electricity, transport corridors, ports, digital networks and water infrastructure as critical to expanding regional manufacturing and trade.
“We will champion the expansion and modernisation of the infrastructure that connects our region. Reliable energy, efficient transport corridors, modern ports, integrated digital networks and dependable water systems are indispensable to regional connectivity, industrialisation and the movement of goods and services across our region,” he said.
Lamola said manufacturing currently accounted for only about 10% of regional GDP, which was insufficient to generate employment on the scale required.
South Africa will also prioritise peace, security and stability, with Lamola saying instability in one SADC country had implications for the wider region.
“The security of one Member State is inseparable from the security and stability of the entire Community,” he said.
On migration, Lamola said the movement of people across Southern Africa could not be viewed solely as a security issue and was often linked to employment and economic opportunities.
He said concerns about irregular migration should be dealt with through lawful processes, while rejecting vigilantism and human rights abuses. South Africa also called on SADC countries to sign the regional protocol on the free movement of people to enable more regular and orderly migration.
