Skukuza: Southern African Development Community (SADC) Executive Secretary Elias Magosi has urged member states to transition discussions into actionable strategies to protect the region from increasing global shocks. Speaking at the SADC Ministers of Foreign Affairs Retreat in Skukuza, Kruger National Park, Magosi highlighted that the international system is undergoing significant transformations due to geopolitical rivalries, economic fragmentation, and diminishing multilateral cooperation.

According to South African Government News Agency, Magosi emphasized that the retreat comes at a crucial time when global instability is affecting Southern Africa's development path. He stressed that the changes in the global order represent not just temporary disruptions but a structural shift in how power, trade, and cooperation are organized globally.

Magosi noted that successive global shocks since 2020, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and rising tensions in the Middle East, have exposed regional vulnerabilities and disrupted critical global systems. He urged the region to strengthen economic resilience and accelerate industrialization, food and energy security, and regional cooperation.

The retreat aims to help member states collectively reflect on safeguarding strategic interests and advancing regional integration amid global uncertainties. Magosi highlighted the importance of industrialization, value addition, and investment in energy security and infrastructure to create jobs and transform the economy.

He pointed out the vulnerability of developing regions like SADC due to their dependence on imported energy and industrial inputs. Rising debt burdens, limited economic diversification, and fiscal constraints further amplify global shocks.

Magosi also addressed the challenges in agriculture, citing rising input costs, climate variability, and disease outbreaks as pressures on food systems. Despite challenges, he acknowledged Southern Africa's rich resources and strategic trade corridors, advocating for industrialization and value addition to reduce reliance on raw material exports.

He emphasized the importance of strengthening the Southern African Power Pool, expanding energy trade, and investing in infrastructure to enhance regional competitiveness. Additionally, Magosi called for improved resource mobilization and coordinated approaches to external financing and debt management.

The proposed Regional Development Fund (RDF) could reduce reliance on external funding and support strategic regional priorities. Magosi urged foreign ministers to expand diplomacy's scope to include economic transformation and strategic global positioning.

He called for greater policy coordination among SADC member states across various sectors and expressed the Secretariat's expectation for practical outcomes from the retreat to enhance resilience and policy coherence.

Magosi concluded with a call for confidence in the region's capacity to address its challenges, emphasizing the region's adequacy, capability, and talent to create an integrated and resilient future.