Harare, (New Ziana) – Zimbabwe will early next month host the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Meeting of the Committee of Ministers of Finance and Investment as well as the Peer Review Panel, the regional body has said.
The gathering expected to bolster regional cooperation and coordination in investment, finance, capital market integration, and macroeconomic surveillance mechanisms aimed at fostering sustainable economic development and inclusive growth across the region.
In a statement on Wednesday, the SADC Secretariat said the meeting will be chaired by the South African Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, in his capacity as chairperson of the SADC Committee of Ministers of Finance and Investment.
It said the Ministers’ meeting will be preceded by a session of Senior Treasury and Central Bank officials scheduled for June 29–30, who serve as both a clearing and advisory committee, providing technical recommendations and expert input to guide the Ministers’ deliberations.
“The SADC Protocol on Finance and Investment provides the legal framework for regional cooperation and harmonisation in finance, investment, and macroeconomic policy. It emphasises aligning Member States’ financial and investment policies with SADC’s overarching objectives to prevent policy shifts in one country from adversely affecting other Member States.
“The Committee of SADC Ministers of Finance and Investment facilitates regional integration, cooperation, and coordination in these sectors, aiming to diversify and expand productive activities, enhance trade, and support sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction. It also seeks to foster a favourable investment climate, promote and attract investment, ensure macroeconomic stability and convergence, and strengthen cooperation on taxation and related matters across the region,” it said.
The secretariat further stated that the SADC Peer Review Panel, which comprises Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from all Member States, is mandated to monitor and assess macroeconomic convergence, set and review performance targets, evaluate progress made by member countries, and provide guidance on corrective measures to promote policy coherence and macroeconomic stability throughout the region.
Key issues on the Ministers’ agenda include macroeconomic stability and convergence, capital market development, and real-time gross settlement systems, including the SADC Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) platform, which was developed to facilitate faster settlement of cross-border transactions without relying on intermediary banks outside the SADC region.
The meeting will also focus on strategies to promote Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in line with international standards and emerging global trends.
Other matters to be discussed include the operationalisation of the SADC Regional Development Fund (RDF) and progress towards establishing the SADC Development Finance Resource Centre (DFRC) through a Charter.
Ministers will also review issues relating to the Committee of SADC Stock Exchanges (CoSSE), particularly the interconnectivity of stock exchanges across the region, as well as the work of the Committee of Insurance, Securities and Non-Banking Financial Authorities (CISNA), which oversees the supervision of insurance, securities, and non-banking financial institutions within SADC Member States.
“The SADC Peer Review Panel will also discuss matters such as anti-money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) aimed at mitigating financial crimes, including money laundering and terrorist financing, the status of signing and accession to SADC protocols and legal instruments related to Finance and Investment and reflections and deliberations on the outcomes of the SADC Foreign Affairs Ministers Retreat, which was held in May 2026 in Skukuza, Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga, South Africa, to assess the impact of evolving global geopolitical developments in the SADC region,” the regional body stated.
The outcomes of the meeting will be submitted to the SADC Council of Ministers and are expected to contribute towards the implementation of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020–2030 and the attainment of the objectives outlined in the SADC Vision 2050 framework.
New Ziana
