Ezulwini, Kingdom of Eswatini, 31 October 2025 (ECA) - The Thirty-First Session of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts (ICSOE) for Southern Africa concluded in Ezulwini, Eswatini, with a clarion call for bold, coordinated action to unlock the African Continental Free Trade Area’s (AfCFTA’s) potential through regional value chains, digital transformation, and climate-resilient industrialization.
Convened under the theme “Unlocking AfCFTA’s Potential: Building Value Chains and Overcoming Barriers to Trade in Southern Africa,” the hybrid meeting brought together senior policymakers and experts from nine member States: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe alongside representatives from regional organizations, development partners, and the private sector.
The Committee endorsed a set of far-reaching recommendations aimed at driving inclusive and sustainable growth, including:
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Deepening industrialization through value addition, regional linkages, standards harmonization, and digitalization.
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Accelerating implementation of the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade by aligning national legislation and increasing investments in ICT infrastructure.
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Mainstreaming climate adaptation into national AfCFTA strategies to foster green, climate-resilient value chains.
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Strengthening support for MSMEs, women, and youth entrepreneurs to enhance their participation in regional and global value chains.
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Leveraging public–private partnerships to promote green manufacturing and low-carbon industrial transformation.
Delegates underscored the urgency of tackling macroeconomic instability, declining foreign direct investment, and rising climate risks. They emphasized that climate-resilient infrastructure, digital connectivity, and harmonized industrial policies are central to realizing the AfCFTA’s transformative promise.
Eswatini was elected Chair of the 31st Bureau, with Malawi as Vice Chair and Lesotho as Rapporteur. Delegates commended the Kingdom of Eswatini for its hospitality and leadership in making the meeting a success and recognized the role played by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Subregional Office for Southern Africa (SRO-SA) in supporting regional integration and inclusive industrialization efforts.
The outcomes and recommendations of the 31st ICSOE will feed into the 58th Session of the ECA Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (COM2026).
Delivering her closing remarks, Ms. Eunice G. Kamwendo, Director of the ECA SRO SA, urged Member States to move beyond acknowledging the AfCFTA’s potential and promise to implement concrete measures that will unlock its transformative impact on regional economies.
“There is general agreement that the AfCFTA can be a powerful catalyst for industrialization, regional value-chain development, and economic diversification, while bolstering our resilience to external shocks,” said Ms. Kamwendo. “It is important that we move beyond appreciation to action—strengthening value addition, building resilient value chains, and fostering innovation amid multiple economic and geopolitical shocks.”
She commended participants for their active engagement, noting that the robust exchanges and shared country experiences “brought a lot of realism to the issues faced but more importantly, the possibilities and opportunities to resolve them.”
Ms. Kamwendo highlighted innovative proposals raised during the session, notably by the Minister of Finance in Eswatini, Hon. Neil Rijkenberg’s proposal to leverage government procurement as a driver of regional industrialization. She urged Member States to identify products they could manufacture and supply within the region and deliberately focus on these. She also welcomed the idea of developing a regional scorecard on value chain development as a monitoring and accountability tool.
Reflecting on the region’s economic outlook, Ms. Kamwendo cautioned that commodity dependence remains Southern Africa’s Achilles heel, calling for structural transformation anchored on value added products. She reaffirmed ECA’s commitment to supporting member States through its inclusive and green industrialization agenda, focusing on special economic zones (SEZs), renewable energy, and agro-industrial value chains.
“Broadening our focus on agricultural, automotive, and battery value chains is essential if we are to capture new opportunities in the evolving global economy,” she noted.
Commending the Ad Hoc Expert Group Meeting (AEGM) for its technical insights, she emphasized the need for implementable recommendations with clear timelines and accountability:
“If we are serious about seeing the AfCFTA move, our recommendations must translate into implementable actions at both national and regional levels,” she stressed.
In closing, Ms. Kamwendo expressed deep appreciation to the Government and people of the Kingdom of Eswatini for their hospitality and organization, as well as to the UN Country Team and ECA SRO-SA staff for their steadfast support.
“As we depart, let us carry forward this momentum, deepen collaboration, trade more within our region, add value to our exportable, and create inclusive opportunities for all. Let us commit to leaving no one behind as we build a Southern Africa that thrives on open regionalism, resilience, and shared prosperity,” she concluded.
In his official closing remarks, Mr. Mluleki Dlamini, Director: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade of Eswatini, and Chair of ICSOE 2025–2026, underscored the region’s shared vision and determination:
“Over the past two days, our discussions have reinforced a unified vision: we must break the ‘commodity trap.’ Building resilient regional value chains is not merely an option; it is essential for sustainable industrialization and economic sovereignty.”
Mr. Dlamini outlined actionable priorities for the region, including policy harmonization, regional infrastructure development, SME financing, value-added production, and inclusive participation of women, youth, and informal cross-border traders in value chains.
“Let us transform Southern Africa from being a source of raw materials into a continental hub of industrial innovation, value addition, and inclusive prosperity,” he urged member States.
The session was convened by the ECA SRO SA and hosted by the Kingdom of Eswatini. The 31st ICSOE session reaffirmed Southern Africa’s commitment to inclusive industrialization, regional integration, and sustainable growth, positioning the region to fully harness the transformative potential of the AfCFTA.
Issued by:
The Sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa
UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
P.O. Box 30647, Lusaka, Zambia.
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