21 May 2026

SADC convenes the Statistics Committee meeting in Cape Town,

Invitation to attend and cover the SADC Statistics Committee meeting in Cape Town from 26-28 May 2026.

All News Editors / Syndication Editors

Statistics South Africa will host the Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting in Cape Town from 26 to 28 May 2026. The meeting will bring together statistical experts and policymakers from across the region to review progress on key statistical initiatives and further strengthen national and regional statistical systems within Member States.

The meeting will focus on assessing the implementation of the SADC Statistics Programme, including the SADC Protocol on Statistics, the Regional Strategy for the Development of Statistics (RSDS) and the SADC Regional Project. The Committee will also examine progress reports and frameworks covering macroeconomic, poverty, trade, gender, prices, agriculture and labour statistics.

As the principal regional coordinating body for statistics, the SADC Statistics Committee provides oversight on data collection, analysis, quality assurance and reporting to support informed decision-making and effective regional development planning. It plays a central role in advancing harmonised statistical systems and ensuring the production of reliable, timely and comparable data across Member States.

The meeting will further deliberate on regional and national statistical policy instruments, with particular emphasis on accelerating the signing and ratification of the SADC Protocol on Statistics, which was approved by the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government in August 2021. The meeting will be attended by the Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Ms Nonceba Mhlauli.

Key areas of focus will include:

• Reviewing progress on the implementation of regional statistical programmes.
• Assessing progress, findings and recommendations from statistical capacity building activities.
• Evaluating progress on the digital transformation of regional statistics towards enhancing efficiency in statistical service delivery.
• Reviewing implementation of regional statistical development initiatives, including the RSDS.
• Receiving updates on international statistical standards and continental statistical integration processes.
• Promoting the harmonisation of statistical methodologies, standards and indicators across SADC Member States in line with international best practice.
• Strengthening coordination of data collection, reporting, and monitoring for economic, social, and environmental indicators.

The outcomes of the meeting are expected to further strengthen regional statistical cooperation and contribute to evidence-based policymaking, deeper regional integration, and sustainable development across the SADC region.

Press briefing will be hosted as follows:

Official Opening Session

Date: 26 May 2026

Time: 12:30

Venue: Lagoon Hotel, Milnerton, Cape Town

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SADC in Brief

SADC is an organisation of 16 Member States established in 1980 as the Southern African Development Coordinating Conference (SADCC) and later, in August,1992 transformed into the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The mission of SADC is to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development through efficient, productive systems, deeper cooperation and integration, good governance and durable peace and security; so that the region emerges as a competitive and effective player in international relations and the world economy. Member States are Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

For enquiries:

Ms. Barbara Lopi, Head of Communication and Public Relations, email; blopi@sadc.int or Mr. Letso S. Mpho, email lmpho@sadc.int or email prinfo@sadc.int, or Ms Felicia Sithole, email:felicias@statssa.gov.za,WhatsApp +267 71640456 or +27 76 430 0693