Namibia will host the 9th Summit of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Heads of State and Government on 27 June in Windhoek, bringing together leaders from the five-member bloc to deliberate on regional trade, industrialisation and pressing geopolitical issues.
The summit, to be chaired by Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, will assess progress on SACU’s Strategic Plan, which focuses on industrial development, trade facilitation, investment promotion and leveraging opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
According to a statement by the SACU Secretariat on Monday, the leaders of Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa are also expected to discuss unified trade engagement with external partners, resource mobilisation and institutional effectiveness.
Established in 1910, SACU is the world’s oldest customs union and plays a central role in fostering economic integration among its five member states.
The union facilitates the free movement of goods and coordinates customs and excise policies to promote regional development.
The Windhoek summit comes at a time when SACU is seeking to deepen industrial value chains in sectors such as agro-processing and manufacturing, while also navigating shifting global trade dynamics and regional security concerns.
Ahead of the summit, a series of preparatory meetings are underway, including the Senior Finance Officials and Finance, Risk and Audit Committee meetings (21-22 June), the 76th SACU Commission meeting (23-24 June) and the 52nd SACU Council of Ministers meeting (25-26 June).
JN/APA