Staff Reporter
PRESIDENT Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will join regional leaders in Durban, South Africa, on Monday for the 46th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government, where leaders are expected to deliberate on regional industrialisation, trade, infrastructure, peace and security.
The summit will be held on 17 August 2026 at the International Convention Centre in Durban and hosted by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
It will be held under the theme, “Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Industrialisation through Infrastructure Development, Agricultural and Critical Minerals Transformation in Pursuit of a Just World.”
As the supreme policymaking body of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the summit provides strategic direction and sets priorities for regional cooperation and development.
The summit follows a series of preparatory meetings. Senior officials met from 4 to 10 August to consider and finalise the agenda, while the Council of Ministers is meeting from 12 to 14 August to deliberate on and approve the agenda items.
A key item at the summit will be the handover of the SADC chairpersonship from Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the outgoing chairperson, to Ramaphosa, who will assume the position.
Regional leaders are expected to assess the political, social and economic state of the region, including global and continental economic trends and developments affecting SADC member states.
Industrialisation and regional economic integration will also feature prominently, with discussions expected to focus on strengthening regional value chains, increasing intra-regional trade and improving infrastructure connectivity, including through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The leaders are also expected to deliberate on peace and security, including regional stability, political cooperation and cross-border security initiatives.
Nandi-Ndaitwah is scheduled to depart for South Africa on Sunday, 16 August, and return to Namibia on Tuesday, 18 August.
Photos: Namibian Presidency/SADC
