The Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Her Excellency Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax says the SADC Region offers a wide range of opportunities.
Addressing the 2018 South Africa–Italy Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa on 24th October, 2017, Dr Tax said, "the Industrialization initiative offers an unlimited range of opportunities for growth and investments through value chains development, in among others, mineral beneficiation and downstream processing, oil and gas, agro-processing and pharmaceutical sectors".
Dr Tax said, that under that SADC Industrialization programme, the region has profiled the mineral and pharmaceutical value chains resulting in investment opportunities in different Member States. The investment opportunities include:
- Increased power generation using locally abundant coal and gas, found in countries such as Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Namibia
- Polymer manufacturing plants using regionally produced coal in countries such as Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania
- Steel manufacturing plants and expansion and modernization of existing pants using regional base metals, iron ore, zinc, chromium, and nickel found in Angola, DRC, South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Namibia
- Cement plants and expanded and modernized cement plants using the regional limestone resources found in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, DRC, Malawi, Mozambique, Angola, Tanzania, Namibia
- Diamond polishing plants in the region
In addition, Dr Tax said, the natural endowments that the SADC Region possesses offer opportunities for growth and investments, citing as examples, the abundant and unique water sources such as the Congo and Zambezi rivers, with the Inga Dam situated on the Congo River, and the Stieglers Gorge in Tanzania. "The abundant sunshine is a great opportunity for solar energy, a clean and renewable energy source," she added.
The SADC Executive Secretary further said the Agriculture Investment Plan which SADC has developed offers numerous opportunities for investment, saying the implementation of the plan will require investments in new and innovative production methodologies, as well as development of knowledge and technology products that will make farming more sustainable, resilient, and productive.
Dr Tax invited the organisaers of the Summit, the European House Ambrosetti to partner with SADC in areas of mutual interest.
