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South African Embassy, Berlin
Tiergartenstr. 18, 10785 Berlin
Tel.: +49-30-22073-0
Fax: +49-30-22073-190

SADC

The Southern African Development Community (SADC)

The concept of a regional economic cooperation in southern Africa was first discussed at a meeting of the Frontline States foreign ministers in May 1979 in Gaberone. The meeting led to an international conference in Arusha, Tanzania two months later which brought together all independent countries, with the exception of the then Rhodesia, South West Africa and South Africa, and international donor agencies. The Arusha conference in turn led to the Lusaka Summit held in the Zambian capital in April 1980. After adopting the declaration, which was to become known as ‘Southern Africa: Towards Economic Liberation’, Sir Seretse Khama was elected the first chairman of the SADC.

Member States of SADC

The member States of the Southern African Development Community are:

Angola, Botswana, DR Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tansania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Aims of SADC

SADC's goal is ever-stronger cooperation in the economic, political, security, cultural and social spheres. The supreme body is the regular summit meeting of heads of state and government, supplemented by the Council of Ministers. The Court of Justice guarantees compliance with agreements reached. The participation of the population is guaranteed by the future SADC Parliament. Institutional competence has been considerably strengthened by the establishment of a central secretariat with four specialized directorates in Gaborone (Botswana).

The driving force behind integration is the attractiveness of a common market of 240 million people. Since the end of the Cold War, SADC has made considerable efforts to reduce trade and investment barriers and harmonize institutional frameworks. Supraregional initiatives such as the EU-SADC Investment Promotion Programme (ESIPP) promote entrepreneurial activities.

SADC set the following goals for the decade:

2008 Common Free Trade Area
2010 Customs Union
2015 Common Market
2018 Common currency

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Topnews, Politics, SADC, Press, Economy

18. August 2020

40th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government

The 40th Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was held virtually on the 17th August 2020. Read the full Communiqué by |+| read article

Politics, SADC, Topnews

21. August 2017

South Africa Assumes SADC Chair and Holds Successful Summit

South Africa has assumed the role of Chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) since August 2017, taking over from the Kingdom of Swaziland. The country successfully hosted the 37th...

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SADC

03. August 2015

SADC ENERGY MINISTERS APPROVE ESTABLISHMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY CENTRE

“The ministers approved the establishment of SACREEE and that the Republic of Namibia should host the centre,” said the Department of Energy. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) energy...

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Embassy, Topnews, Press Review, SADC

25. October 2011

SADC Day in Germany

Berlin, 20 October 2011. On Thursday, 20 October 2011, eleven of the fourteen Southern Africa Developing Community (SADC) countries which are based in Berlin celebrated for the first time, “SADC...

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Politics, SADC

24. March 2009

President Kgalema Motlanthe extends invitation to SADC to observe SA Elections on 22 April 2009

The Chairperson of SADC and President of South Africa, President Kgalema Motlanthe has today, Tuesday 24 March addressed a request to SADC to send a team of election observers from the region to...

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SADC Plan

|+| Strategic Plan of SADC Ambassadors in Germany
On 12 March 2008 the Ambassadors of the SADC Member States invited the press and political and economic contacts to the South African Embassy in order to officially launch their strategic plan of cooperation with each other and with German partners.

Africa Gateway

|+| Africa Gateway
News, features and information on South Africa's relations with the African continent.

 
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