The Executive Secretary (ES) of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), H.E. Mr. Elias Magosi, held a Courtesy Meeting with Ambassadors representing SADC Member States in Washington, D.C., United States of America on 23 April 2025. The meeting, held on the margins of the 2025 Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, focused on advancing diplomatic relations, fostering regional cooperation, and aligning shared priorities.
Ambassadors, as key representatives of SADC in the United States, play a vital role in promoting the region’s interests, and identifying opportunities for collaboration. To this end, H.E. Magosi, recalled the significant role that the Ambassadors played in the establishment of the SADC-USA Dialogue Forum which was approved by the SADC Council in March 2024. The Forum aims to strengthen ties between SADC and the U.S. Government to address peace, security, and economic cooperation issues.
The ES also apprised Ambassadors on the SADC-USA Regional Development Objective Agreement (RDOAG), signed in August 2023, with a funding envelope of USD 223 million for implementation from 2023–2027. The agreement prioritises economic growth, environment and energy, youth empowerment, democracy and governance, and health.
Updates were also provided on the Mid-Term Review (MTR) of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Plan (RISDP 2020–2030). The review is crucial in assessing progress, addressing challenges, and recalibrating priorities to meet regional and global emerging issues. The ES emphasised the need for active engagement with International Cooperating Partners and private sectors to bolster trade, investment, and financing efforts.
H.E. Magosi also shared insights on key decisions from the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government and Council of Ministers, ensuring Ambassadors are informed on high-level regional priorities.
The meeting noted the evolving geopolitical landscape, including tariffs imposed by the U.S. on several SADC Member States, with significant negative economic impacts prompting calls for urgent political and diplomatic interventions.
Her Excellency Margaret Mensah-Williams, Ambassador of Namibia and Dean of Ambassadors, highlighted ongoing efforts by the Ambassadors’ Committee to engage U.S. Government officials, international organizations, and private sector entities to advance SADC’s regional integration and development programmes.
The Courtesy Meeting, hosted by His Excellency Mr. Agostinho Van-Dúnem, Ambassador of Angola, concluded with renewed commitments to strengthen diplomatic relations and pursue strategic collaborations.
The Executive Secretary was accompanied by Mr. Dennis Rweyemamu, Acting Director for Policy Planning and Resource Mobilisation, Ms. Barbara Lopi, Head of Communications and Public Relations, Dr. Mario Lironel, Senior Programme Officer for Finance and Investment, Mr. Calicious Tutalife, Senior Programme Officer for Value Chains, Engineer Edvan Moyo, Programme Officer for Energy, Mr. Thokozani Mlotsa, Resource Mobilisation Officer, and Ms. Kelejwang Moichubedi, Executive Assistant to the Executive Secretary.
