SADC elevates media development as key pillar for regional integration goals

By Dumisani Ndlovu

GABORONE, BOTSWANA –The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) officially launched its five-year Communications and Visibility Strategy (2025–2030) today in Gaborone, Botswana, fundamentally repositioning media development as a critical prerequisite for achieving its core strategic objectives, including the ambitious SADC Vision 2050.

The new blueprint explicitly elevates the strengthening of media ecosystems as the bedrock upon which effective regional communication, transparency, and public engagement must rest.

Approved by the SADC Council of Ministers, the strategy is anchored by four strategic objectives, with the foundational goal being improved media development—a direct commitment to strengthen media ecosystems to support effective communication and depth of coverage on regional initiatives.
SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration, Ms. Angele Makomba N’tumba, emphasized that the strategy is designed to ensure the citizens of the region understand and benefit from the integration agenda.
“The SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020–2030 places enhanced awareness and visibility of SADC, its mandate, activities, and impact, at the heart of its strategic objectives,” Ms. N’tumba stated during the launch. “It is our collective responsibility to communicate the outcomes and benefits of these efforts, to showcase the relevance of SADC initiatives across our region and highlight their tangible, positive impact on the lives of our citizens.”
The strategy marks a significant moment for media stakeholders, who have long advocated for broader institutional recognition of the media's role beyond simple public relations.
Thomas Nkhoma, MISA Regional Governing Council (NGC) member and Chairperson of MISA Botswana, hailed the strategy as a critical milestone, noting that the SADC Secretariat had adopted a holistic view of the media.
“At MISA, we identify broader multilateral institutions as strategic players in media development, including SADC,” Nkhoma said. “The launch of this strategy marks a significant milestone, as SADC adopts a holistic view of media as a stakeholder that requires development to effectively cover regional issues in depth.”
Nkhoma stressed that this focus on media development must connect to the broader global challenges facing the industry, specifically mentioning information integrity, media sustainability, evolving ICT environments, and geopolitical shifts.
This sentiment was echoed by MISA Regional Director, Dr. Tabani Moyo, who assisted in the strategy’s technical development. Dr. Moyo underscored that the ultimate goal is to empower regional voices.
“This is part of the broader aim to strengthen African voices and those of the wider global south in effectively telling their stories,” Dr. Moyo explained. “It begins with enhancing media ecosystems to engage with African realities and to cover stories in depth for well-informed decisions.”
The three other core strategic objectives—increasing SADC visibility, strengthening strategic communication capacity, and positioning the SADC corporate brand—are all framed to be reliant on a functioning, developed media environment.
Ms. Barbara Lopi, SADC Head of Communications and Public Relations at the Secretariat, noted that the strategy is both timely and strategic, addressing rapid environmental changes driven by technology.
“It reflects our evolving priorities, the insights we’ve gained, and the realities of an ever-evolving media landscape in which we now operate,” Ms. Lopi said. “We are proud to unveil a renewed communication strategy, one that honours past achievements, addresses emerging challenges, and positions us for even greater impact and reach.”
The Secretariat was directed to commence implementation immediately, working closely with Member States, SADC National Contact Points, and National Media Coordinators. By explicitly targeting the health and capacity of the independent press, the SADC is strategically investing in the information infrastructure necessary to drive public trust and ownership of its ambitious regional integration agenda over the next five years.