GABORONE, June 29 — The Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Thursday underscored the need for strategic investments in sustainable development, economic transformation and regional integration. Speaking at the SADC Development Finance Institutions Chief Executive Officers’ Forum, held in the Botswanan capital of Gaborone, SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi stressed the urgency of addressing uneven structural transformation across the region while highlighting the region’s collective economic strength, valued at approximately 720 billion U.S. dollars. He called on regional stakeholders to take bold and strategic steps to bridge the estimated annual 402 billion dollars investment gap, particularly in Sustainable Development Goals-aligned sectors such as education, energy, infrastructure, and technology. “Step up. Join governments in tackling the persistent challenges of poverty, inequality, and unemployment. Your influence, resources, and technical know-how can redefine the trajectory of our region.” he said. The forum brought together government representatives, SADC development finance institutions, private sector leaders, and development partners to forge strategic partnerships, enhance institutional collaboration, and drive inclusive economic growth across the SADC region. Headquartered in Gaborone, the SADC is a 16-member regional bloc, comprising Angola, Botswana, the Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
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