Government leaders, policymakers, business representatives and industry stakeholders from across Southern Africa have gathered at the Durban International Convention Centre for the 9th SADC Industrialisation Week.

The five-day summit is focused on promoting regional industrialisation, strengthening trade and accelerating sustainable economic growth across the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

South Africa’s Department of Science, Technology and Innovation Director-General, Dr Mlungisi Cele, says innovation is central to achieving industrialisation across the region.

“The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation plays a crucial role in this gathering as part of the government’s effort to ensure industrialisation happens in SADC. Our contribution is that there will be no industrialisation without innovation… We are implementing initiatives through our National Decadal Plan on Science, Technology and Innovation… making sure research is ramped up and technologies are developed in South Africa and across SADC if we are to take advantage of the opportunities that an integrated SADC championing industrialisation could achieve.”

The 9th Annual SADC Industrialisation Week at the Durban ICC in KZN



WATCH | Industry leaders are meeting in Durban for the 9th SADC Industrialisation Week, with discussions focused on infrastructure development, investment, regional value chains, critical minerals beneficiation, digital innovation and sustainable energy. pic.twitter.com/SOGIHaFP8g

— SABC News (@SABCNews) July 28, 2026

Meanwhile, the Southern African Development Community Accreditation Service (SADCAS) says quality assurance will be essential for building a competitive pharmaceutical manufacturing sector in the region.

SADCAS Chief Executive Officer Eve Christine Gadzikwa says investment in quality systems is critical to improving health security and supporting industrialisation.

“SADC is looking at improving health security, food security, regional integration and industrialisation; we need to underscore everything under quality… We have an opportunity right now to form an integrated community for the pharmaceutical industry and medical technology. The most critical investment should be in quality… ensuring that whatever we’re selling to the public is actually safe, that its efficacy is good and the quality is also good.”

Gadzikwa says lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic continue to shape the region’s approach to pharmaceutical manufacturing and vaccine production.

She says SADC is working to strengthen local manufacturing capacity while ensuring products meet internationally recognised quality standards.

“COVID taught us a lot of things. One of the things it taught us is the need for us to bring our solutions closer because logistics became very difficult. The role that we played was to support local industry to produce their own chemicals… We also supported pharmaceutical companies and regulators to ensure their facilities are accredited. We are working in the voluntary domain and with the private sector to ensure we have a region that has good quality products, with good safety, that the community can rely upon,” Gadzikwa says.

9th SADC Industrialisation Week in Durban