Also known as: SADC · Southern Africa Development Community
Regional organization for energy and water infrastructure development, with ministers and senior officials meeting to coordinate transboundary resource management and accelerate electricity interconnectors and renewable energy projects across Southern Africa.
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March 2026
The Namibian
Southern African Development Communitywill be worked with by Namibia topromote peace, justice, and a fair global order
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“We will continue to work within the Southern African Development Community, the African Union, and the United Nations to promote peace, justice, and a fair global order.”
SADChas intra-regional trade in manufactured goods that increased from19% to 22%
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“Magosi noted that intra-SADC trade in manufactured goods has increased modestly from 19% to 22%, reflecting gradual progress in regional market integration.”
Namibiawill continue advancing its interests throughthe Southern African Development Community
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“He noted that Namibia will continue advancing its interests through regional and continental platforms such as the Southern African Development Community and the African Union, as well as global institutions like the United Nations.”
Southern African Development Communityset60% standard for debt-to-GDP ratio
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“The goal of this budget is to put our debt-to-GDP ratio on a downward trajectory towards the 60% Southern African Development Community standard and restore a positive primary fiscal balance for the 2026–2027 term.”
Southern African Development Community (SADC) regionfacesan ongoing FMD threat
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“The campaign is being implemented in collaboration with the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia (LLPBN), the FMD Support Fund, and various Namibian farmers' unions and associations, in response to the ongoing FMD threat within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.”
The Southern African Development Community (SADC)benefits fromthe bridge's spillover benefits and alignment with Infrastructure Vision 2027
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“According to regional reports on trade, the Kazungula Bridge aligns with the SADC Infrastructure Vision 2027 and the SADC Protocol on Trade, which aim to boost intra-regional trade.”
Southern African Development Communitygovernsregional fisheries agreements for Zambezi-Chobe river system
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“The Zambezi-Chobe river system is shared with neighbouring countries such as Zambia and Botswana, making enforcement complex and requiring cross-border cooperation under regional fisheries agreements within the SADC framework.”
Southern African Development Communityhas enabled through signed agreementsNamibia to look beyond borders for judges from comparable jurisdictions
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“Due to these systemic constraints, Shivute added that Namibia is looking at a number of alternatives, including looking beyond its borders for judges from comparable jurisdictions, and that agreements signed with some SADC countries have made this possible.”
Southern African Development Community (SADC)conducteda mission to assess impacts of recent floods in South Africa
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“A team from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), accompanied by South African officials, conducted a mission this week to assess the impacts of the recent floods in South Africa.”
Southern African Development Community (SADC)collectively protectover 70% of Africa's elephants and around 80% of Africa's rhinos
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“Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries collectively protect a substantial majority of the world's elephants and rhinos, with estimates suggesting over 70% of Africa's elephants and around 80% of Africa's rhinos are found in the SADC region, and our scientists possess the most credible experience in managing them.”
SADC governments spend billions on medicines and supplies, yet hospitals and clinics face shortages of essential drugs. A regional pooled procurement system, approved in 2017, would allow member states to combine purchasing power and negotiate better prices, but implementation remains slow nearly a decade later.
SADC governments spend billions on medicines and supplies, yet hospitals and clinics face shortages of essential drugs. A regional pooled procurement system, approved in 2017, would allow member states to combine purchasing power and negotiate better prices, but implementation remains slow nearly a decade later.
The 4th Southern Africa Regional Science Association Conference in Windhoek brought together delegates from across the SADC to discuss inclusive and sustainable regional development. Leaders called for stronger collaboration between researchers and policymakers to address southern Africa's urban, economic and environmental challenges.
Namibia and South Africa have signed an agreement to allow mutual transfer of sentenced prisoners between the countries, but transfers cannot occur until South Africa passes enabling legislation expected by mid-2027. Namibia has already finalised its side of the arrangement.
Ronnie Kanalelo has signed a two-year deal to manage African Stars for a second time, with ambitions to transform the NPFL champions into a competitive force in the CAF Champions League and across the SADC region through youth development and raising playing standards.
Savanna Beef Processors Limited recorded a group loss of N$25.9 million for the financial year ended 28 February 2026 as it commissioned and ramped up its newly completed abattoir and meat processing facility. The operating loss widened to N$30.9 million from N$13.2 million in the previous year, reflecting costs associated with bringing the facility into production.
Savanna Beef Processors Limited reported a group loss of N$25.9 million for the year ended 28 February 2026, with operating losses widening as the company commissioned its newly completed abattoir and meat processing facility. The subsidiary Savanna Beef Operations received its taking-over certificate from the contractor on 29 October 2025, with the total project value amounting to N$436.5 million.
Presidents Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and Cyril Ramaphosa concluded the Fourth Namibia-South Africa Bi-National Commission, ordering officials to move from treating agreements as paperwork to delivering tangible projects. The countries agreed to introduce a digital balance scorecard system to track implementation, with defined timelines and accountability measures.
The 44th Joint Meeting of SADC Ministers Responsible for Energy and Water, held in South Africa on 17 July 2026, reaffirmed the region's commitment to accelerating energy and water infrastructure development. Ministers reviewed progress on electricity interconnectors, renewable energy, transboundary water management, and financing mechanisms, emphasizing the need to fast-track priority projects to support industrial growth and ensure reliable access to energy and water across Southern Africa.
Vice President Lucia Witbooi addressed the 2026 Effective Communicators Conference in Swakopmund, urging communicators across Africa to strengthen public trust by promoting accurate information, combating misinformation, and embracing ethical communication as essential for good governance and national development.
Vice President Lucia Witbooi hosted Botswana Vice President Ndaba Nkosinathi Gaolathe at the Port of Walvis Bay to reaffirm commitment to strengthening regional trade and economic integration through the Botswana Dry Port and Trans-Kalahari Corridor.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa co-chaired the Fourth Session of the Namibia-South Africa Bi-National Commission in Pretoria, where the two countries committed to strengthening economic cooperation, expanding trade and investment, and advancing joint development initiatives in areas including energy security and infrastructure development.
The long-standing Orange River boundary dispute between Namibia and South Africa remains unresolved despite renewed commitments and bilateral engagement. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah expressed hope the issue will be resolved urgently to provide legal certainty for future generations at the closing of the Fourth Session of the Namibia-South Africa Bi-National Commission in Pretoria.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah called for deeper economic cooperation between Namibia and South Africa in energy, trade and regional development while opening the Fourth Session of the Namibia-South Africa Bi-National Commission Summit in Pretoria, and urged resolution of the long-standing Orange River boundary issue.
South African companies invested approximately US$1.2 billion (about N$19.5 billion) in Namibia between 2023 and 2025, creating around 4,900 jobs, according to the South African Presidency ahead of a Bi-National Commission summit between the two countries.
Presidents Nandi-Ndaitwah and Ramaphosa are set to meet in Pretoria to co-chair the Fourth Session of the Namibia-South Africa Bi-National Commission, with directives expected to strengthen trade, investment, border management, infrastructure and energy cooperation between the two countries. Several new agreements and memoranda of understanding are also expected to be signed.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will co-chair the Fourth Session of the Namibia-South Africa Bi-National Commission in Pretoria on 17 July 2026, with discussions focused on trade, investment, infrastructure, energy and regional cooperation. The BNC serves as the highest permanent bilateral cooperation mechanism between the two countries, supported by more than 150 agreements covering political, diplomatic, economic, social, defence and security cooperation.
Senior officials from the Southern African Development Community are meeting in Johannesburg from 14–15 July to review progress on regional energy and water programmes and prepare recommendations for SADC Ministers Responsible for Energy and Water meeting on 17 July. The SADC Deputy Executive Secretary noted the region has significant energy resources including hydropower, coal, solar, wind and natural gas, but faces major challenges in energy supply and access, while over 70% of SADC's freshwater resources are shared across national borders.
Senior government and security officials from SADC member states met in Salima, Malawi to review regional peace and security issues and prepare recommendations for the 28th Ministerial Committee of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
The Lobito Corridor railway, linking mineral-rich DRC regions to Angola's port, is a key development focus for Angola, DRC, Zambia and partners including the US, which committed US$200 billion for infrastructure and pledged to mobilise an additional US$600 billion. The DRC's untapped mineral deposits are valued at over US$24 trillion.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah called on Chinese investors to partner with Namibia in building processing industries and creating jobs, saying the country must move beyond exporting raw minerals towards investment, industrialisation, manufacturing and technology transfer. She said Namibia's mineral deposits including uranium, diamonds, lithium, copper and rare earth minerals must be used to create greater economic benefits for Namibians.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah called on Namibian businesses to leverage strengthened ties with China to pursue investment, manufacturing, and value-addition opportunities that can create jobs and support economic transformation. Speaking at the Namibia-China Business Forum in Beijing during a state visit, she urged companies to build strategic partnerships with Chinese counterparts and emphasised moving beyond raw material exports to focus on projects generating greater economic value.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah told the Namibia-China Business Forum in Beijing that Namibia seeks partnerships focused on processing plants, manufacturing, and technology transfer rather than raw material extraction. She said local beneficiation is a government priority given Namibia's mineral wealth, high unemployment, and poverty, and invited Chinese investment in processing facilities, renewable energy, agriculture, and digital infrastructure.
Namibia recorded its largest trade surplus with China in May at N$1.5 billion, placing China ahead of Botswana and Canada as Namibia's most favourable trading partner that month. Despite an overall trade deficit of N$3.1 billion, exports of uranium, fish, gold and diamonds helped cushion rising import costs.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has invited Chinese investors to partner with Namibia in mining, agriculture, renewable energy, logistics, and infrastructure, seeking to shift the economy from raw material exports to value addition and industrialisation. Speaking at the Namibia-China Business Forum in Guangzhou, she said Namibia is open for trade and investment and ready to deepen economic and political ties with China.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah invited Chinese investors to partner with Namibia in mining, agriculture, renewable energy, logistics and infrastructure during a state visit to China, emphasizing the country's shift toward value addition and industrialisation rather than raw material exports.
Namibia's Minister of International Relations and Trade Selma Ashipala-Musavyi told Chinese businesspeople in Shanghai that Namibia is a safe and stable investment destination offering access to southern African markets, and called for Chinese companies to invest in clean energy technology, battery components, logistical hubs, and downstream processing of minerals rather than extractive mining alone.
The 2025 SADC Annual TB Progress Report shows Southern Africa achieved a 26% reduction in tuberculosis incidence since 2016 but remains the global epicentre of the disease with 55% of all WHO Africa Region notifications. Despite progress, the region faces funding cuts and plateauing momentum, with the SADC hosting eight of the world's 30 highest TB-burden countries and regional incidence at 258 cases per 100,000 people.
MP Nelson Kalangula has warned that escalating disruptions affecting Namibian cross-border truck drivers operating in South Africa could have far-reaching economic consequences for Namibia, particularly due to the country's heavy dependence on South African supply routes. Kalangula noted that some transport operators have withdrawn trucks from South African routes due to safety concerns, reflecting a growing economic risk that could disrupt supply chains and increase pressure on domestic markets.
Paulus Noa, who established Namibia's Anti-Corruption Commission from scratch in 2006 and served as its director general for 20 years, is stepping down with Bryan Eiseb nominated as his successor. During his tenure, the ACC processed over 7,500 corruption complaints and expanded to include forensic, intelligence, and anti-money laundering divisions.
During the first quarter of 2026, Namibia's domestic economic activity picked up to 2.0% growth from 0.1% in the final quarter of 2025, marking the eighteenth consecutive positive quarterly value since the second quarter of 2021. Growth was driven by tertiary industries including wholesale and retail trade, financial services, health, education, and public administration, along with strong agricultural performance supported by favourable rainfall and brisk fishing activity, though mining weakened and manufacturing contracted.