EZULWINI – The 31st Session of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts (ICSOE) of Southern Africa has urged governments to boost job creation through targeted budget support for agriculture and manufacturing.
The two-day session, held at the Royal Villas from Thursday to Friday under the theme ‘Unlocking AfCFTA’s Potential: Building Value Chains and Overcoming Barriers to Trade in Southern Africa’, brought together senior government officials, economists, private sector representatives and international development partners.
The meeting, which was chaired by the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini, provided a platform to review the subregion’s economic outlook and deliberate on strategies for inclusive industrialisation and trade competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
According to the Committee’s outcome statement, member States were urged to prioritise sectors that hold the highest potential to stimulate sustainable growth and employment.
Agriculture and manufacturing were identified as key pillars for economic recovery, given their capacity to absorb labour, enhance food security and foster export diversification.
The committee stated that targeted budget allocations to these productive sectors would strengthen value addition, boost domestic industries and deepen regional value chains, allowing countries to fully benefit from the AfCFTA framework.
It added that such fiscal prioritisation would enable Southern Africa to accelerate progress towards poverty reduction and inclusive development.
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… deepening industrialisation, trade
EZULWINI – Delegates reaffirmed that industrialisation remains central to Southern Africa’s long-term economic transformation.
They emphasised that deepening regional industrialisation requires building robust value chains in key sectors, including agro-processing, mineral beneficiation, pharmaceuticals and textiles.
To achieve this, member States were encouraged to harmonise standards, enhance cross-border linkages and embrace digitalisation to improve production efficiency and trade facilitation.
The committee further urged countries to leverage the AfCFTA as a framework for expanding intra-African trade and investment in manufacturing and services.
The Ezulwini session called for the rapid implementation of the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade, noting that the digital economy offers significant opportunities for diversification, innovation and the formalisation of informal trade.
Member States were advised to align their national legislation and ICT infrastructure with the provisions of the protocol, especially on data governance, cybersecurity and interoperability.
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Strengthening role of the ECA
EZULWINI – The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) was recognised for its continued leadership in advancing regional integration, industrialisation and trade facilitation in Southern Africa.
The Committee encouraged ECA to deepen its support in developing regional value chains through special economic zones, agro-industrial parks and value chains in electric batteries, automotive components, pharmaceuticals and agro-processing.
ECA was further urged to accelerate technical support for implementing the AfCFTA Agreement by engaging the private sector, academia and civil society.
In addition, the committee called on the ECA to assist countries in integrating climate considerations into trade and industrial strategies, including initiatives related to critical minerals and the just energy transition.
The committee also endorsed the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Expert Group Meeting on ‘Advancing Intra-Regional Trade in Southern Africa through Addressing Tariff and Non-Tariff Barriers.’ It emphasised the importance of expediting the implementation of these recommendations by relevant stakeholders to boost intra-African trade and eliminate bottlenecks that hinder cross-border commerce.
Delegates noted that Southern Africa’s economic growth remains sluggish, weighed down by external shocks such as global geopolitical tensions, volatile commodity prices and recurrent droughts.
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Supporting MSMEs, small-scale traders
EZULWINI – The committee emphasised that the participation of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in value chains is essential for inclusive growth.
It noted that small-scale traders, women and youth entrepreneurs must be supported through simplified digital tools and improved access to digital payment systems.
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