Ashly Dhani
Francis Gakanje
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) says well designed and implemented special economic zones (SEZs) can be an important tool to drive industrialisation, economic growth and sustainable development in Southern Africa.
While addressing the 7th SADC Industrialisation Week and exhibition in Harare last week Ms Eunice Kamwendo, the director of the ECA sub-regional office for Southern Africa, highlighted the importance of stakeholders carefully considering the unique needs, priorities, comparative and competitive advantages of individual countries in the region when determining the appropriate SEZ approaches to pursue.
Furthermore, she emphasized the necessity of establishing transparent and harmonised policy, legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks for transboundary SEZs which she noted, is crucial to enable the development of regional value chains across the Southern African region.
“SEZs should align with a country’s comparative and competitive advantage and be supported by a conducive policy and regulatory environment, including the integration of these zones into broader national development plans and policy frameworks.
“Strong political will is necessary to secure bilateral investment commitments to the zones by providing confidence to investors,” said Ms Kamwendo.
According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) press release, SEZs are an important policy tool to support private sector development, including micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
Speaking at the same event, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Zimbabwe, Mr. Edward Kallon, in remarks read on his behalf by the UNESCO Regional Director of the Regional Office for Southern Africa and UNESCO Representative to Zimbabwe, Ms. Nisha, lauded the ECA for supporting regional structural transformation, development and growth through various targeted initiatives in member states.
“ECA remains a trusted partner in the development journey in Southern Africa specifically, and has recently supported Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe in recalibrating industrial policies for alignment and harmonisation with regional frameworks,” Ms. Nisha said.
She underlined that Southern Africa should leverage its mineral wealth for sustainable industrialisation and the creation of sustainable jobs while adhering to lofty environmental and social standards, adding that this requires strong governance frameworks, elaborate environmental regulations, and the active participation of all stakeholders.
“The path to sustainable industrialization in Southern Africa requires collective effort, strategic planning, and unwavering commitment.”
“By harnessing the potential of SEZs, supporting MSMEs, and leveraging the support of development partners, we can build resilient economies that are both inclusive and sustainable,” added Ms Nisha.
The ECA sub regional for Southern Africa organised two expert sessions during the Industrialization Week as part of support to the regional industrial development agenda.
The sessions focused on establishment and management of SEZs and on critical energy transition minerals development.
They provided a platform for sharing experiences on the development and managements of SEZs, both national and cross-border and also allowed regional experts to explore the emerging issues in the exploitation of green minerals and the just energy transition leveraging the rich natural resource base on the continent.
Bongani Ndlovu