The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat, the Republic of Malawi and the SADC Business Council, will be hosting the 5th annual SADC industrialisation Week (SIW) from 22-26 November 2021 at Bingu Wa Mutharika International Convention Centre in Lilongwe, Malawi.
This year's event will allow for both physical and virtual participation because of COVID-19. H.E Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi and H.E Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique, will grace the Official Opening Ceremony of SIW 2021.
The SADC industrialisation Week is an annual public-private engagement platform to foster new opportunities for intra-African trade and investment. The theme for this year is 'Bolstering Productive Capacities in the Face of COVID 19 Pandemic for Inclusive, Sustainable Economic and Industrial Transformation' explicitly focusing on the following:
o Bolstering Productive Capacities in the Face of COVID 19 Pandemic for Inclusive, Sustainable Economic and Industrial Transformation
o Positioning SADC Private Sector to Take Advantage of the AfCFTA
o Feedback and progress on the SADC Regional Gas Masterplan
o Financial services and opportunities for financing industrialisation within the SADC region
o Industrial Policy Tax Regime Harmonization- Fears, Benefits and Practical Way Forward
o Infrastructure – Identification and Support of key Generation and Transmission Projects required for industrialisation
o Agriculture – Updates on SADC Regional Value Chains
o The Role of Custom Administrations in promoting the SADC regional economic integration and Industrialisation Agenda
o Trade Facilitation-Identifying and resolving Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) in SADC and launch of the NTB and Trade Facilitation Working Group
o Building linkages between MSMEs and Southern-led MNCs: the case of Southern Africa
o The Relevance of the SQAM Infrastructure in Bolstering Productive Capacities in the Face of COVID 19 Pandemic for Inclusive, Sustainable Economic and Industrial Transformation
o The role of electronic Payment Systems in promoting regional and continental trade (AfCFTA)
o 4IR, Science, Technology, and Innovation in support of industrialisation
o Pharmaceuticals – Support to regional manufacturing of pharmaceutical products and update on SADC Pooled procurement initiative
o The role of technology incubators in MSME development in Southern Africa
o Illicit financial flows: The myths and truths in the Mining Industry
o Business Environment and predictability of policies on Industrial Development
o Effective Waste Management Policy Development for Africa- what role should company's play, and is EPR the way to go?
o SIPS Programme Stakeholder Engagement
The SADC industrialisation Week format features keynote addresses from high profile speakers on a wide range of themes and topics; panel discussions with industry experts and project owners; break-away sessions of key topical concern; exhibitions; matchmaking for SMEs factory tours. This event's recommendations and outputs will be included in the SIW declaration statement and presented to the SADC Council of Ministers. This body determines policy discussions for Heads of State and Government for action.
In addition, the event will feature two side events with a specific focus on "Promoting Small Pelagic Fish Value Chains to Safeguard and Enhance the Contribution of Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems, Inclusive Economic Development and Regional Integration in the African Great Lakes 9AGLs)"; and Support to Industrialisation and Productive Sectors (SIPS) Programme Stakeholder Engagement. It is a SADC Programme supported by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to facilitate the expansion of regional value chains and promote dialogue between the private and public sectors.
