RAJOELINA URGES ECONOMIC SELF-RELIANCE AS HE TAKES SADC HELM

Rajoelina makes history as Madagascar leads SADC for the first time, urging stronger regional trade and industrialisation.

Southern africa Sadc Economic self-reliance Regional trade Industrialisation.
President Andry Rajoelina
President Andry Rajoelina


Madagascar etched its name in Southern Africa’s integration journey on Sunday as President Andry Rajoelina assumed the chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), marking the island nation’s first-ever leadership of the 16-member bloc.

The historic handover, which took place at the opening of the 45th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit in Antananarivo, saw Rajoelina succeed Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The event was not just ceremonial; it symbolised a turning point for Madagascar’s regional standing.

Rajoelina pledged to steer SADC towards deeper economic self-reliance, urging fellow leaders to “produce, transform and trade more within Africa” instead of depending heavily on external markets. Currently, intra-SADC trade accounts for just 18 percent of the region’s total, a figure he called “too little for our collective ambitions.”

Under the summit’s theme, “Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC”, the Malagasy leader framed industrialisation as both a survival strategy and an opportunity to create sustainable jobs through regional value chains.

“This theme is not just a slogan, it is a pact,” Rajoelina said, stressing the need for financial investments, human capital development, and political commitment to drive transformation.

The gathering drew heads of state from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the host nation, alongside senior representatives from Angola, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Seychelles, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Since the adoption of the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap in 2015, annual summits have repeatedly underscored the urgency of reducing dependence on raw commodity exports. The Antananarivo summit is expected to renew this momentum, reviewing progress on integration, peace and security, and setting regional priorities under Madagascar’s leadership.

For Madagascar, the spotlight moment is more than ceremonial; it is a chance to cement its role as a key voice in shaping Southern Africa’s economic future.

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