ADDIS ABABA – The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has directed its Secretariat to accelerate the development of the value proposition, investment plan, and roadmap for the transformation of the North-South Economic Corridor.
In a communique published on 17 August 2025 following the conclusion of the 45th ordinary summit of the SADC Heads of State and Government, the bloc announced that it has directed its Secretariat to fast-track the development of the value proposition, investment plan, and roadmap for the North-South Economic Corridor, and to accelerate the advancement of the SADC Maritime Corridor Strategy, aimed at enhancing trade, regional connectivity and economic integration.
The Summit also called for the accelerated establishment of the SADC Regional Development Fund as an independent Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), aimed at enhancing regional economic resilience, supporting sustainable development, and mobilizing long-term investment for SADC regional programs.
According to the Communique, the Summit has approved and signed the Agreement Amending the SADC Protocol on Finance and Investment, particularly provisions relating to Anti Money Laundering.
Recently, the SADC member states had pronounced that the bloc will commence a pilot program designed to transform the North-South Corridor (NSC) from a purely trade route into a smart economic corridor, making it a powerhouse of industrialization, job creation, and sustainable development, according to the Secretariat.
At a high-level workshop held late in July 2025 in South Africa, SADC members and partners endorsed and validated the concept of the NSC Economic Corridor Pilot Program, laying the groundwork to evolve the corridor into a fully integrated economic corridor, according to the SADC Secretariat.
It is estimated that the North South Economic Corridor could unlock 16.1 billion USD in GDP within the region and generate approximately 1.6 million jobs with inclusion of youths, women and small and medium enterprises, through local manufacturing, value chains and other economic activities.
The North South Corridor is the busiest trade route moving over 60 percent of SADC trade and serving 7 countries and over half of the region’s population. The corridor is considered the backbone of SADC region, spanning from Durban in South Africa to Kolwezi in Democratic Republic of Congo.
