S. Afr. Devel. Community (SADC)

Multilateral not in force

INTRODUCTION

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) was created in 1980 as the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC). SADCC at the time comprised all the independent southern African countries who joined together for economic cooperation, with the added aim of reducing their dependence on apartheid South Africa. SADCC was formalised in 1992 and given the necessary legal status thus becoming SADC, and once all the Southern African countries had gained independence, the region’s objective shifted its focus to economic integration. SADC is one of the eight regional economic communities recognised by the African Union.

The Protocol on the Facilitation of Free Movement of Persons regulating entry, residence and establishment with respect to citizens of the member states was signed on 18 August 2005 by Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania and Namibia. By 2015, only six of the 15 SADC Member States had ratified the Protocol since its adoption in 2005, namely, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia. The protocol has still not been ratified by the requisite two-thirds of the member states and is, therefore, not in force. Another Protocol, the one on Employment and Labour, aimed at providing strategic direction and guidelines for the harmonisation of employment and labour policies in the region was adopted in 2014 upon signing by seven member states. As of 1 January 2024, the countries that have signed the Protocol on Employment and Labour are DRC, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini and Angola. It is not clear from the information publicly available whether any member state has ratified this protocol. A final Protocol, the one on Trade in Services, 2012 came into force on 13 January 2022 following ratification by 11 out of 16 members: Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Comoros, Lesotho, Botswana and Seychelles. This Protocol does not, however, create a free movement regime in the region.

MEMBER STATES

ANGOLA (1980)
BOTSWANA (1980)
COMOROS (2017)
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC) (1997)
ESWATINI (1980)
LESOTHO (1980)
MADAGASCAR (2005)
MALAWI (1980)
MAURITIUS (1995)
MOZAMBIQUE (1980)
NAMIBIA (1990)
SEYCHELLES (1997)
SOUTH AFRICA (1994)
UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA (1980)
ZAMBIA (1980)
ZIMBABWE (1980)

HEADQUARTERS

Gaberone, Botswana

DATE OF CREATION

1 April 1980 as Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC)

TIMELINE

1980	The Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) was created on 1 April by the founding members of Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
1990	Namibia joins SADCC on 24 August.
1992	Signing of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Declaration and Treaty on 17 August in Windhoek, Namibia. Founding members of SADC: Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe
1994	South Africa joins SADC in April.
1995	Mauritius joins SADC in August.
1997	Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Seychelles join SADC on 8 September.
2003	Seychelles withdraws from SADC in June 2003.
2005	Adoption of the SADC Protocol on the Facilitation of Free Movement of Persons on 18 August in Gaborone, Botswana.
2005	Madagascar joins SADC on 18 August.
2008	Seychelles rejoins SADC on 17 August.
2009	Madagascar is suspended from SADC on 30 March.
2012	Adoption of the SADC Protocol on Trade in Services on 17 August 2012, in Luanda, Angola.
2014	Adoption of the SADC Protocol on Employment and Labour on 18 April in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
2014	Madagascar’s membership to the SADC is reinstated on 30 January.
2022	The SADC Protocol on Trade in Services enters into force on 1 March.