SADC Pushes for Full Rollout of Electronic Certificate of Origin by 2026
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has taken a significant step toward advancing regional economic integration through digital trade facilitation by convening a validation workshop on the implementation of the Electronic Certificate of Origin (e-CoO) among Member States. The workshop was held in Lusaka, Zambia from 11 to 12 June 2025.
The event reviewed the findings of an impact assessment study commissioned by the SADC Secretariat with support from GIZ under the CESARE Programme. The study was initiated following the Trade Negotiation Forum’s guidance in 2024 and aligns with the 2019 decision by SADC Ministers of Trade to adopt the e-CoO framework.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Alcides Monteiro, SADC Senior Programme Officer – Customs, explained that the workshop aimed to validate the study and accelerate the full roll-out of the e-CoO.
He noted the initiative’s alignment with continental efforts under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which recently undertook benchmarking missions to SADC.
Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Commissioner General Mr. Dingani Banda, serving as Guest of Honour, emphasized the importance of digital transformation in regional trade.
“The e-CoO system reduces business costs, combats fraud, and enhances efficiency,” he said, commending the Member States already implementing the system.
The session was chaired by Zimbabwe Revenue Authority’s Commissioner of Customs, Mr. Batsirai Chadzingwa, who stressed that digitising customs and trade processes is essential in the digital era.
He highlighted how e-CoO supports investment, enhances the ease of doing business, and propels the SADC Industrialisation Strategy.
Launched in 2022, the e-CoO has already been adopted by six SADC countries: Eswatini, Botswana, Mauritius, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. The shift from manual to digital certificates is expected to cut transaction costs, reduce fraud, speed up cross-border verifications, and improve trade data accuracy.
The workshop concluded with a commitment to ensure that by 2026, all SADC Free Trade Area members fully adopt the e-CoO, furthering the regional integration agenda.
