Ramaphosa says SADC Vision 2050 blueprint must "be more than a statement of intent"

Speaking at the University of KwaZulu-Natal on Friday, President Cyril Ramaphosa told an audience ahead of the SADC heads-of-state summit in Durban that the SADC Vision 2050 blueprint has to be put into practice through real governing choices. He noted that Southern Africa’s roughly 430 million people and nearly $1 trillion economy still depend heavily on outside trade, with less than a quarter of total commerce occurring among member states. Because global shipping and supply problems have driven up prices, Ramaphosa argued for deeper regional production and integration, citing streamlined border checkpoints and a regional electricity-trading arrangement as useful existing steps. The 46th SADC summit takes place August 16-17.