DURBAN, South Africa, Aug. 14 — Southern African countries need to accelerate industrialization, expand regional value chains and boost intra-regional trade to create jobs and improve livelihoods, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola said Friday.
Speaking at the closing session of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Council of Ministers meeting in South Africa’s coastal city Durban, Lamola said regional integration must translate into concrete improvements in people’s lives, amid persistent unemployment and food insecurity across the region.
“The success of our work will be measured less by the decisions adopted here than by their translation into practical outcomes that expand economic opportunities, strengthen resilience and improve livelihoods across the region,” said Lamola, who chaired the SADC Council of Ministers.
Unemployment exceeds 30 percent in six member states, while 58 million people in the region remain uncertain about their next meal, he said, adding that with young people making up 60 percent of the population, the region must expand jobs, skills and opportunities for young people.
“Meeting all these aspirations requires transforming the productive structure of our economies,” Lamola said, calling for manufacturing’s contribution to gross domestic product to rise toward the regional target of 30 percent by 2030.
He also called for the development of regional value chains and increased trade among member states, saying SADC commitments must be translated into concrete action at both national and regional levels.
Calling on member states to accelerate implementation of SADC Vision 2050, Lamola said regional integration is to build a more prosperous, resilient and inclusive future for the people of the region and, by extension, the continent.
The three-day meeting, which began Wednesday, focused on advancing the region’s development agenda under the theme of the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit: “Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Industrialization through Infrastructure Development, Agricultural and Critical Minerals Transformation in Pursuit of a Just World.” (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
