SADC Member States and Experts Urged to Boost Regional Communication Efforts
Member States and communication experts from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region have been urged to intensify efforts to promote awareness and visibility of SADC programmes and achievements at all levels of society.
The call was made during the Validation Workshop for the Draft SADC Communication, Awareness and Visibility Strategy 2025–2030, held from 15–16 April 2025 in Johannesburg. The workshop brought together national media coordinators, communication professionals, and regional stakeholders to review and validate the draft strategy before it is submitted to the SADC Council of Ministers for approval in August 2025.
Mr. Lawrence Masera, Communications Officer from Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Chairperson of the Workshop, emphasized the importance of developing a strategy that reflects the collective aspirations of the region. He called for efforts to reach remote communities and adapt to evolving media platforms.
Ms. Barbara Lopi, Head of Communication and Public Relations at the SADC Secretariat, underlined the value of a strong communication framework to elevate SADC’s regional and global visibility. “SADC is relevant, and the region is better off with SADC than without,” she said, noting the progress made since the organisation’s formation in 1980.
Representing the incoming SADC Chair, Ms. Rajoelson Andriambolona Rindrantsoa Tsifaniaina, Head of Department for Press and Communications of Madagascar, thanked participants for their contributions and highlighted the shared understanding of regional communication priorities.
The workshop also provided a platform for participants to exchange lessons from the implementation of the previous strategy, including challenges in reaching underserved populations and responding to fast-changing media trends.
Attendees included representatives from Angola, Botswana, DRC, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, along with regional media organizations such as SARDC, MISA, Editors Forum of Southern Africa, and the Southern Africa Youth Forum (SAYoF).
The workshop was organised by the SADC Secretariat with support from GIZ under the SADC National-Regional Linkages (SNRL) project, which aims to strengthen coordination and implementation of the regional integration agenda.
