Ramaphosa urges SADC to cut border delays and deepen regional integration

Ramaphosa urged the speedy establishment of One-Stop Border Posts, saying plainly: “A truck carrying goods across Southern Africa should not spend days waiting at a border.” He said borders should facilitate legitimate trade and movement while maintaining effective security and customs controls.

Infrastructure, corridors and logistics

As incoming chairperson of the Southern African Development Community, Ramaphosa said South Africa would place infrastructure development at the centre of its chairship. He highlighted the importance of regional corridors as “arteries of regional integration” to link production centres to markets, connect landlocked countries to ports and reduce costs.

He said SADC would work to revitalise railway networks, expand and modernise ports, and improve roads and logistics systems so goods and services move more efficiently.

Industrialisation, value addition and jobs

The summit, convened under the theme “Resilient, sustainable and inclusive industrialisation through Infrastructure Development, Agricultural and Critical Minerals Transformation in Pursuit of a Just World”, discussed stopping the export of critical minerals in raw form and instead developing industries that add value and create jobs.

Ramaphosa said industrialisation should create jobs, expand productive capacity, beneficiate minerals, strengthen agriculture and agro-processing, develop new technologies and build competitive regional value chains.

Energy, water and financing

On energy, Ramaphosa said the region was determined to work towards increasing access to electricity to at least 85% by 2030, while also improving reliability, affordability and regional electricity interconnection. He called for accelerated investment in generation and transmission infrastructure.

He also emphasised water and sanitation, saying the region must ensure reliable access to clean water and adequate sanitation, and described investment in these sectors as an investment in human dignity and economic opportunity.

From resolutions to implementation

Ramaphosa stressed that the summit’s outcomes must translate into tangible changes in people’s lives. He said the challenge was implementation: measuring progress in kilometres of railway rehabilitated, megawatts of electricity generated and transmitted, border-crossing times reduced, factories established, intra-regional trade expanded and jobs created.

He announced steps to strengthen the ability to mobilise domestic, regional and international resources for the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan and SADC Vision 2050, and said SADC would proceed to operationalise the SADC Regional Development Fund.

Closing appeal

Ramaphosa said the summit reaffirmed that the prosperity and security of individual countries are inseparable from that of the region, and urged leaders to turn political will into action so “our borders connect rather than divide us” and the benefits of regional integration are felt in the lives of all people in Southern Africa.