Officials attend the SADC Council of Ministers meeting in Durban, South Africa, Aug. 12, 2026. (SADC)

NNA News - Ministers from the Southern African Development Community are meeting in Durban this week to review regional priorities and assess progress on previous decisions ahead of the bloc’s 46th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government. The three-day SADC Council of Ministers meeting, which runs from the 12th to the 14th of August, is setting the stage for the summit of heads of state and government scheduled for the 17th to the 18th of August. 

The ministers are discussing regional integration, economic development, peace and security, migration, and other issues affecting the 16-member bloc. The meeting comes as South Africa assumes the SADC chair for 2026-27, with Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola taking over from Zimbabwe’s Amon Murwira. Lamola told the meeting that Pretoria regarded the chair as a collective responsibility. “We accept this mandate, fully conscious that this role does not belong to South Africa alone,” Lamola said. “This is a collective responsibility that we must discharge in the interests of our community."

SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi praised Lamola’s leadership during the transition, saying the regional body had continued to advance priorities, including geopolitical engagement, peace and security, migration, and regional integration. “Under his guidance, we have continued with the work of the region, advancing key regional priorities including geopolitical engagement, peace and security, and migration, and demonstrating our collective commitment to integration, development, and cooperation,” Magosi said.

But Magosi cautioned that progress was being made against a difficult global backdrop, with SADC facing geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, declining development assistance, and conflicts in various parts of the world. He urged member states to strengthen cooperation and resilience and take greater ownership of the region’s development. “The future of our region will increasingly depend on our ability to trust each other more and work together more to strengthen regional resilience and drive our development agenda on our terms,” Magosi said.

SADC senior officials pose for a group photograph during a meeting in Durban, South Africa, Aug. 6, 2026. (SADC)

South Africa has set out several priorities for its year at the helm, including strengthening peace and security, accelerating industrialisation, expanding regional trade and developing regional value chains, Lamola told reporters. Infrastructure will also be a focus, including energy, transport corridors, ports, digital networks and water systems. The chair will also prioritise social and human capital development. Trade and critical minerals are expected to feature prominently. Lamola said South Africa would seek to increase intra-SADC trade and promote the beneficiation of critical minerals within the region.

He noted that nearly 30% of the world’s proven critical mineral reserves are found in the region, including about half of global cobalt reserves and 20% of graphite reserves. "During our time in office, we will make sure to follow through on our Skukuza retreat goals to reach 50 per cent intra-SADC trade and to use critical minerals for processing where they are found," Lamola said.

There are signs of momentum. Intra-regional trade reached 20.2% in 2025, according to Magosi, while foreign direct investment rose 44% to $11 billion, driven largely by inflows into Mozambique and South Africa. The movement of people is another key issue on the ministers’ agenda. Magosi said 15 SADC member states now apply a 90-day visa-free regime for citizens of the bloc, while Mauritius, Seychelles and Zimbabwe have exempted all SADC nationals from visa requirements.

He called on member states to accelerate ratification of the SADC Protocol on the Facilitation of Movement of Persons. Ten countries have signed the protocol, and seven have ratified it, while 11 ratifications are required for it to enter into force. Lamola emphasised the need to address migration through an orderly and lawful framework, firmly rejecting vigilantism and human rights violations. “However, as we address the legitimate concerns of our citizens, we equally and forcefully reject all forms of vigilantism and human rights violations,” he said.

Peace and security remain key priorities for the bloc. Magosi said the SADC remained largely stable and free from interstate conflict, while noting progress in addressing political and security challenges in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar. He said the SADC Panel of Elders and the Mediation Reference Group continued to support conflict prevention, mediation and preventive diplomacy. The region is also facing climate and food-security pressures. Magosi warned that a severe El Niño event during the 2026-27 season could worsen food and nutrition insecurity while driving up fertiliser and energy costs and increasing humanitarian needs.

He called for stronger early-warning systems, disaster preparedness and climate-resilient infrastructure. As South Africa begins its tenure, Lamola said the bloc needed to turn existing regional frameworks into tangible improvements in people’s lives. “Let us use this moment to renew our commitment to bridging the distance between the ambitions expressed in our regional instruments and the capacity of our institutions to realise them,” he said. “We approach the chairmanship in that spirit, with humility, purpose, and a commitment to work with every member state."

The ministers’ deliberations will help shape the priorities that go before the SADC Heads of State and Government Summit in Durban on Aug. 17-18, where member states are expected to translate those commitments into concrete action.