President Cyril Ramaphosa says the decision to hold the 46th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in eThekwini in August 2026, is an encouraging acknowledgement of the progress the city has made.
“This is a worthy recognition of the progress that has been made, together with all social partners, in restoring confidence in the city and encouragement to complete the work,” the President said.
The President said tangible progress had been made over the past two years since the establishment of the Presidential eThekwini Working Group.
Established in April 2024, the working group is a collaborative initiative between The Presidency, the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) to address service delivery challenges, improve infrastructure, stabilise governance, and enhance economic growth in the municipality.
He said eThekwini has moved from the brink of decline to early recovery but warned that stabilisation must now give way to structural economic reform if the metro is to achieve catalytic growth.
“When we first met in early 2024, we were navigating uncertainty. Confidence was fragile. Service delivery challenges were acute. Today, there are tangible signs that the decline has been arrested, that stability has taken root and that recovery is underway,” the President said.
He met with the Presidential eThekwini Working Group (PeWG), following the unveiling of landmark statues of struggle icons President Nelson Mandela and former African National Congress President Oliver Reginald Tambo, in the city on Tuesday.
The President said he looked forward, as the chair of SADC, to invite leaders from across the region to gather in eThekwini – where the African Union was launched – to deliberate on issues that are critical to the growth and development of Southern Africa.
It comes as South Africa assumes the interim leadership of the regional bloc.
President Ramaphosa was elected interim Chairperson of SADC during a virtual Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government held on 7 November 2025.
The decision followed the Republic of Madagascar’s move to relinquish its role as SADC Chair due to recent political developments that affected its capacity to fulfil the responsibilities of the position.
In line with provisions of the SADC Treaty, South Africa, as Deputy Chair, has assumed interim leadership of the regional body until August 2026, when the Summit is expected to make a formal determination.
SADC leaders had originally appointed South Africa as the incoming 46th Chair during the 45th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Antananarivo, Madagascar, in August 2025. The Summit is the highest policy-making structure of the regional bloc.
Due to developments in Madagascar, however, South Africa has taken over earlier than anticipated and, as interim Chair, hosted SADC meetings from November 2025.
According to the Summit communiqué, South Africa will steer SADC under the theme adopted in August 2025: “Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation, and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC.”
The hosting of the 46th SADC Summit in eThekwini is therefore expected to cement South Africa’s leadership role within the bloc, while positioning the coastal city as a centre for regional diplomacy and economic cooperation in the year ahead. – SAnews.gov.za
