SADC leaders vow to expand manufacturing, trade at Madagascar summit

Held under the theme "Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation, and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC," the summit in Antananarivo Sunday focused on accelerating regional integration through strengthening industrial capacity, modernizing agriculture, and promoting an inclusive energy transition.

Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina, who assumed the rotating SADC chairmanship from Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa, called the summit "historic".

It is the first time the Indian Ocean island country was hosting the meeting since joining the bloc 20 years ago.

Rajoelina stressed the need to accelerate industrialisation and expand intra-regional trade. SADC wants manufacturing to make up 30 percent of its GDP by 2030.

The sector's share currently stands at 11% with South Africa being the bloc's manufacturing powerhouse.