Staff Reporter
Gaborone, Botswana, November 10 – Southern African nations must join forces to expedite the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement, a crucial step toward alleviating poverty and inequality in a region currently ranked among the most disparate in the world.
Addressing the 29th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts of Southern Africa (ICSOE), Mmusi Kgafela, the Minister of Trade and Industry for Botswana, emphasized the urgent need to accelerate trade and industrialization in Southern Africa. The region faces multiple challenges, including the lingering effects of COVID-19, geopolitical tensions in Europe, and the impacts of climate change, all of which have impeded the regional development agenda.
Mr. Kgafela underscored the significance of advancing industrialization and trade within the framework of the AfCFTA to stimulate economic growth in the region. He stressed that boosting intra-Africa trade through the AfCFTA could yield substantial benefits for Southern Africa, addressing the pressing issues of poverty and inequality by creating jobs and increasing incomes.
Advocating for collaboration between governments and the private sector, with a focus on innovation and technology development, Mr. Kgafela urged regional governments to think innovatively about supporting the growth of regional economies. Specifically, he highlighted the importance of empowering Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), as well as youth and women-owned businesses.
The 29th ICSOE Meeting aims to evaluate and endorse the annual report on the Economic Commission for Africa’s (ECA) work in Southern Africa, assess economic and social conditions in the region, and review a report on the implementation of regional and international agendas, along with other special initiatives in Southern Africa.
In her address to the meeting, ECA Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist, Hanan Morsy, emphasized that poverty and inequality persist in Southern Africa, posing challenges to achieving a prosperous society aligned with the vision of “the Africa we want.” Ms. Morsy, represented by Eunice Kamwendo, Director of the ECA Sub-regional Office for Southern Africa, highlighted the overlapping challenges hindering the region’s ability to leverage its comparative advantage and endowments for economic development while addressing poverty and inequality.
Ms. Morsy stressed that the AfCFTA presents opportunities to stimulate increased trade and investment, promote value addition, and foster innovation and productivity growth at both national and regional levels, contributing to the reduction of poverty, vulnerability, and inequality. She called for the swift implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement by regional member states.
Chileshe Kapwepwe, Secretary-General of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) affirmed COMESA’s commitment to continental integration and the specific implementation of the AfCFTA. Elias Magosi, the Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), echoed the sentiment that addressing inequality and poverty is not only a moral imperative but a strategic necessity for achieving inclusive development in the region.
David Claude Pierre, the Africa Union Permanent Representative for the Southern African Region (AU-SARO), emphasized that the region must depart from business as usual if it is to succeed in leveraging the AfCFTA for poverty and inequality reduction. He posed a critical question: “How can we effectively deal with poverty eradication and inequality if we do not give the youth and women of Africa their rightful place in societies across Africa and continue to treat women as lesser beings than men?”
