SADC Executive Secretary Urges Bold Investment to Drive Regional Transformation at DFI CEOs’ Forum
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has issued a strong call for transformative investments to reshape the region’s economic landscape. Speaking at the opening of the SADC Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) Chief Executive Officers’ Forum in Gaborone, SADC Executive Secretary H.E. Mr. Elias M. Magosi urged stakeholders to take bold, coordinated action to close the region’s vast development financing gap.
Held under the theme “Bold Steps, Shared Future: Building the DFRC of Tomorrow,” the high-level Forum convened senior government officials, development partners, and financial leaders from across the SADC region to strengthen collaboration around resource mobilization and regional development.
Magosi highlighted the region’s collective GDP of over US$720 billion, but warned of stark inequalities and structural gaps, noting that SADC faces an annual investment shortfall of US$402 billion—particularly in critical sectors such as education, energy, infrastructure, and digital technology.
“The time for cautious steps is over,” Magosi said. “DFIs must align with governments and development partners to confront poverty, inequality, and unemployment head-on. Their technical expertise and financial leverage can redefine our shared future.”
He also emphasized the importance of creating tailored financial institutions that respond to regional realities, reaffirming the role of the SADC Development Finance Resource Centre (DFRC) as a vital enabler of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020–2030.
“The DFRC is evolving—from being a knowledge partner to becoming a strategic catalyst for infrastructure and financial sustainability in the region,” he noted, calling for enhanced institutional backing to realize this mandate.
The Forum, organized by the SADC DFRC and its network of DFIs, serves as a critical platform for forging strategic partnerships, promoting institutional innovation, and advancing inclusive growth throughout Southern Africa.
