SADC Secretariat Undertakes Preparatory Mission to South Africa Ahead of 2026 Council and Summit
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat has commenced a preparatory mission to South Africa as part of arrangements for the SADC Council of Ministers Meeting in March 2026 and the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government scheduled for August 2026.
The delegation, led by Ms Bodo Tantel Radaody Ralarosy, Director of Human Resources and Administration at the SADC Secretariat, is in Pretoria from 2 to 7 February 2026 to assess South Africa’s readiness to host the two high-level regional meetings.
South Africa assumed the Chair of SADC following the withdrawal of Madagascar due to internal political developments. The leadership transition was formalised during an Extraordinary Virtual Summit held in November, which confirmed President Cyril Ramaphosa as SADC Chair until August 2026.
In his acceptance remarks, President Ramaphosa reaffirmed SADC’s commitment to advancing regional industrialisation, agricultural transformation, food security and energy transition, building on the theme of the previous Summit: “Promoting industrialisation, agricultural transformation and energy transition for a more resilient SADC.”
The preparatory mission is focused on three key areas. First, the Secretariat is briefing South Africa’s SADC National Contact Point technical team on hosting requirements and minimum standards for the Summit, the Council of Ministers Meeting and other statutory gatherings.
Second, the delegation is inspecting proposed venues and facilities, including hotels, conference centres and airport infrastructure, to assess their suitability for hosting high-level regional delegations.
Third, engagements are being held with service providers and financial institutions to clarify procurement and financial procedures for working with the SADC Secretariat.
Since its arrival, the delegation has held several engagements with South African officials, including a courtesy call on the Acting SADC National Contact Point for South Africa, Mr Msindo Andrew Maswanganye, Director for SADC Regional Economic Integration and Infrastructure at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).
A coordination meeting was also convened and co-chaired by Mr Clayson Monyela, Acting Chief of State Protocol, and the SADC Secretariat’s Director of Human Resources and Administration. During the meeting, Mr Monyela welcomed the Secretariat delegation and reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to meeting all hosting standards.
He noted that the country had recently concluded a successful G20 meeting, adding that the experience gained would significantly support preparations for the upcoming Council of Ministers Meeting and the SADC Summit.
