The Southern African Development Community (SADC) officially launched its Communication, Awareness and Visibility Strategy 2025–2030 at a landmark event held on 18 November 2025 at the Grand Palm Hotel in Gaborone, Botswana. Ms. Angèle Makombo N’Tumba, the SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration, delivered key remarks emphasizing the vital role of communication in showcasing the Community’s transformative work across the region.
In her address, Ms. Makombo N’Tumba expressed profound gratitude to the Governments of SADC Member States for their steadfast support and particularly acknowledged the technical contributions of SADC National Contact Points and Media Coordinators. She also highlighted the critical financial backing from the Government of Germany through the SADC-German cooperation project Strengthening National-Regional Linkages in SADC (SNRL), implemented by GIZ.
The Strategy, ratified by the SADC Council of Ministers in August 2025, aligns with the broader Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020–2030. Its core objective is to enhance public understanding and visibility of SADC’s mandate, activities, and positive impact on regional development and integration.
Ms. Makombo N’Tumba illustrated the Strategy’s importance through tangible success stories, such as the harmonized driver’s license system enabling seamless cross-border travel for truck drivers like Lesego from Botswana; the SADC Real-Time Gross Settlement System facilitating quick payments for entrepreneurs such as Anna in Namibia; and the Electronic Certificate of Origin system streamlining customs clearance for cross-border traders like Thabo. These examples underscore how regional initiatives improve citizens’ lives and promote economic growth.
The Strategy embraces SADC’s cultural and linguistic diversity and prioritizes inclusivity for women, youth, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups. Ms. Makombo N’Tumba called upon all stakeholders—including national contact points, media coordinators, regional institutions, development partners, civil society, and communication professionals—to drive the Strategy’s implementation passionately and creatively.
She concluded with a call to action, inspiring a collective commitment to making SADC visible and ensuring that every citizen feels connected to the Community’s shared vision for a prosperous and empowered Southern Africa. The future, she said, is bright—and it will be illuminated through greater awareness and unity across the region.
This launch marks the beginning of an ambitious journey to tell the SADC story more effectively, reinforcing the Community’s role as a powerhouse for regional integration and development.
