President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa will place infrastructure development, with a strong focus on regional corridors, at the centre of its Chairship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), following the 46th SADC Summit in eThekwini on 17 August.
He identified the development and efficient operation of regional corridors as a major priority, linking production centres to markets, connecting landlocked countries to ports and improving the movement of goods, services and people across Southern Africa.
Ramaphosa said countries along the corridors would need to conclude and implement the legal and institutional arrangements required to make them operational. He also called for faster implementation of identified One-Stop Border Posts to reduce delays in the movement of freight across borders.
Rail infrastructure was identified as another priority, with SADC expected to focus on revitalising railway networks alongside the expansion and modernisation of ports and improvements to roads and logistics systems. Ramaphosa linked these measures to the competitiveness of the regional economy.
Energy infrastructure will also form part of the regional agenda, with SADC targeting electricity access of at least 85% by 2030. Ramaphosa said the region would work to strengthen cross-border electricity interconnections and accelerate investment in generation and transmission infrastructure.
Implementation of the infrastructure programme will depend on mobilising sufficient financing. Ramaphosa said SADC intends to operationalise the SADC Regional Development Fund while also seeking domestic, regional and international sources of capital.
He said the region's progress should ultimately be reflected in measurable outcomes, including railway rehabilitation, additional electricity generation and transmission capacity, reduced border-crossing times, increased industrial activity, higher intra-regional trade and job creation.
The 46th SADC Summit also reviewed progress under the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan and SADC Vision 2050, and considered the peace and security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, northern Mozambique and Madagascar.
