Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

South Africa and China are set to deepen cooperation on disability inclusion, data, universal design, artificial intelligence and assistive technology as the two countries seek practical ways to improve the lives and rights of persons with disabilities.

The commitment was highlighted by the Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga during the visit of a delegation from the China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF) to South Africa on Tuesday.

Welcoming the Chinese delegation, the Minister described the engagement as an important continuation of high-level discussions held in China in October 2025, saying the two countries were now moving from dialogue towards measurable and practical implementation.

The partnership is grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and South Africa’s White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The Minister stressed that disability inclusion should not be treated as a stand-alone programme, but must be integrated across government planning, budgeting and digital transformation.

At the heart of the cooperation is a commitment to ensuring that persons with disabilities are recognised not merely as recipients of services, but as rights-holders, economic contributors, innovators and equal citizens.

Using data to drive inclusion

Chikunga said effective planning for inclusion requires governments to understand who is being excluded, where barriers exist and whether policies are producing meaningful results.

South Africa is therefore conceptualising a Disability Nerve Centre of Excellence as a G20 legacy project. The proposed centre would work with Statistics South Africa, institutions of higher learning and other disability-data stakeholders.

South Africa also wants to exchange expertise with China on disability-disaggregated administrative data, census methodologies, digital platforms and the ethical use of data.

Universal design was identified as another major pillar of the proposed partnership.

The Minister said accessibility should become a normal and non-negotiable part of national development rather than something added after infrastructure and services have already been designed.

This includes public buildings, transport networks, housing and digital platforms.

South Africa and China could also collaborate on joint training and knowledge exchanges on universal design and compliance auditing. Such programmes could benefit government officials, architects, urban planners and information technology professionals.

The Minister called for the two countries to explore ethical, affordable and locally relevant AI-enabled assistive technologies.

The proposed areas of cooperation include smart wheelchairs and intelligent mobility devices, AI-supported speech-to-text and text-to-speech tools, communication technologies, navigation systems for blind and visually impaired people, accessible digital interfaces, AI-supported learning tools, rehabilitation technologies and smart-home solutions.

However, Chikunga cautioned that innovation must be accessible to the people who need it most.

The goal, she said, is to combine innovation with inclusion, technology with dignity and artificial intelligence with human rights.

The Minister noted that people cannot fully access government services, education, employment, justice or healthcare if information is not provided in a form they can understand and use.

The proposed approach includes Easy Read and plain-language communication, Braille and accessible print, captioning and subtitling, South African Sign Language and other sign-language services, audio descriptions, accessible websites and mobile applications, as well as targeted accessible public information campaigns.

The Minister proposed a seven-point action plan designed to ensure that the bilateral engagement produces tangible outcomes rather than simply more meetings and presentations.

The proposed framework includes establishing a South Africa–China Disability Inclusion Knowledge Exchange Platform, joint capacity-building programmes, stronger cooperation between research institutions and universities, collaboration with technology developers and organisations of persons with disabilities, joint exploration of AI and assistive technologies, deeper cooperation on disability data and statistics, and joint programmes on universal design and accessibility.

The plan also proposes structured exchanges between learners with disabilities in pre-vocational and vocational programmes in both countries to support skills development. – SAnews.gov.za
 

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Small businesses are set to benefit from a partnership between the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) and global shipping and logistics company, DHL.

The partnership, which is aimed at expanding the footprint of emerging exporters in regional and global trade, was formally announced on Tuesday at an official launch event at the DHL Baobab Facility in Waterfall City in Gauteng. The launch included the ceremonial signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the dtic and DHL. 

The signing marks the start of a strategic collaboration aimed at advancing South Africa’s e-commerce export agenda and strengthening support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and emerging exporters.

The collaboration will be undertaken under the banner of DHL’s GoTrade Programme, focusing on trade education, capacity-building programmes, business clinics, trade missions, corridor activation initiatives and increased awareness of key trade frameworks, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and other trade agreements that create new opportunities for African businesses.

The partnership supports the dtic’s broader objectives on industrialisation, export growth and emerging exporter development and promotion. It also reflects the department’s ongoing efforts to work with private sector partners in building a more enabling environment for South African businesses to trade competitively.

DHL’s GoTrade Programme is aligned to the dtic’s newly launched eTrade South Africa Programme, which is centred on core strategic pillars aimed at equipping businesses with the knowledge, skills, tools and market access required to participate in cross-border e-commerce and successfully expand their global footprint.

“Today marks an important milestone in the dtic’s efforts to build a stronger, more connected export development ecosystem. At the heart of the agreement we are signing with DHL is a shared commitment to combining our complementary strengths. 

“Government provides policy support, market intelligence and exporter development programmes, while the private sector contributes operational expertise, technology, finance, logistics and direct access to markets,” said the Acting Deputy Director-General of Exports at the dtic, Willem van der Spuy.

He said the dtic initiated this engagement with DHL because it recognised that its exporter development work could be significantly strengthened by bringing in the expertise of a global logistics and trade-enablement partner.

“eTrade South Africa will be powered by DHL’s GoTrade initiative, bringing together the dtic’s exporter development capabilities and DHL’s practical expertise in logistics, trade facilitation, e-commerce and international market connectivity. Our ambition is simple: to help more South African MSMEs transition from businesses with export potential to businesses that are actively exporting and competing in global markets,” said Van der Spuy.

He also pointed to the wider ecosystem taking shape around the partnership.

“The connection between the dtic’s policy and exporter development mandate, DHL’s logistics and trade enablement, Standard Bank’s finance and financial solutions, and MTN’s connectivity and digital capability can create something far more powerful than four separate interventions. We begin to build an export ecosystem around the MSME itself,” Van der Spuy concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

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Southern African Development Community (SADC) Executive Secretary Elias Magosi has highlighted progress made by the region in energy, digital connectivity, trade, investment and agriculture, while calling for deeper regional cooperation to address persistent challenges facing Member States. 

Magosi was speaking on Wednesday at the official opening of the Ordinary Meeting of the SADC Council of Ministers in Durban. 

He said the region was meeting against the backdrop of profound global change, including geopolitical tensions, shifting economic realities, declining development assistance and conflicts in various parts of the world.

“While these developments pose challenges for the region, they also reinforce an important lesson we can no longer ignore, that the future of our region will increasingly depend on our ability to trust each other more and work together more, to strengthen regional resilience and drive our own development agenda under our own terms,” Magosi said.

He said this understanding informed the Retreat of SADC Ministers of Foreign Affairs held in Skukuza, Mpumalanga, in May, where Member States reaffirmed their commitment to deeper regional integration, collective resilience and sustainable development.

Energy and digital connectivity

Magosi said the SADC region added 3 253 megawatts of new installed generation capacity across 12 mainland Member States during the 2025/26 financial year, with a further 1 611 megawatts added by the Island States.

The region’s total installed capacity now stands at 88 202 megawatts, while operational capacity has reached 54 812 megawatts, exceeding combined regional peak demand and reserve requirements of 52 617 megawatts.

However, Mogisi stressed that progress in the energy sector should ultimately be measured by the number of households, schools, health facilities and businesses gaining access to reliable electricity.

Regional electricity access increased from 56% in 2024 to 60% in 2025, although this remains below the target of 85% access by 2030.

Magosi called for accelerated grid expansion, stronger cross-border interconnections and increased investment in off-grid and renewable energy solutions.

On digital connectivity, he said internet penetration had risen to 57.2%, while 4G network coverage reached 79.2% and mobile penetration stood at 95.2%.

“These achievements are helping us to drive innovation, improve connectivity and expand economic opportunities across the region,” he said.

Trade, investment and industrialisation

Magosi said economic transformation remained at the centre of SADC’s regional integration agenda, although performance across key economic indicators remained mixed.

Manufacturing Value Added (MVA) as a share of GDP declined from 11.3% in 2024 to 10.9% in 2025, highlighting the need for renewed efforts to strengthen industrialisation and value addition.

At the same time, intra-regional trade recorded modest growth, reaching 20.2% in 2025, driven by manufactured products, fuels, machinery, vehicles and agricultural goods.

The region’s merchandise trade balance remained positive at US$27.9 billion, despite declining by US$2.2 billion in 2025.

Foreign Direct Investment, meanwhile, increased by 44% to US$11 billion, largely driven by strong inflows into Mozambique and South Africa.

Magosi said the growth reflected continued investor confidence in the opportunities available within the region but warned that investment in research and development remained below regional and continental targets.

“No Member State has achieved the regional target of investing 1% of GDP in research and development, nor the African Union target of 1.5%,” he said.

He stressed that greater investment in science, technology and innovation would be critical to advancing industrialisation, improving productivity and maintaining competitiveness.

Agriculture and food security

Agriculture remains the backbone of SADC economies and the primary source of livelihoods for more than 70% of the region’s population.

Magosi said agricultural growth was estimated at between 2% and 3% in 2025, compared with negative or stagnant growth in 2024, following severe climatic shocks in recent years.

He also highlighted a 16% reduction in the number of food-insecure people across the region, saying the progress should strengthen efforts to invest in sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture.

However, recent Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreaks have disrupted livestock production and related trade, threatening livelihoods, nutrition and market access.

With nearly 75% of the SADC population below the age of 35, Magosi said young people must be placed at the centre of the transformation of agrifood systems.

He called for youth priorities to be integrated into national and regional agrifood systems and investment plans, with resources directed towards youth-centred agribusiness initiatives.

Peace, security and movement of people

Magosi said peace, security and good governance remained fundamental to sustainable development, investment and prosperity.

He noted progress in addressing political and security challenges in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar, while highlighting the role of the SADC Panel of Elders and the Mediation Reference Group in conflict prevention, mediation and preventive diplomacy.

However, he said women’s participation in peace and security processes remained below desired levels.

“Women’s participation in peace and security processes remains below desired levels despite the disproportionate impact that conflicts have on women and girls,” he said. 

On regional integration, Magosi said 15 Member States now implement a 90-day visa-free regime for SADC citizens, while Mauritius, Seychelles and Zimbabwe have exempted all SADC Member States from visa requirements.

He said 10 Member States had signed the SADC Protocol on the Facilitation of Movement of Persons, with seven having ratified it.

With 11 ratifications required for the Protocol to enter into force, Magosi encouraged the remaining Member States to accelerate ratification.

Climate change and health

Magosi warned that climate change continued to pose a major threat to the region’s development gains.

He said devastating floods earlier this year claimed lives, damaged critical infrastructure, displaced communities and disrupted trade, while seasonal forecasts indicated a high likelihood of a severe El Niño event during the 2026/27 season.

He called for a shift from reacting to disasters towards investing in resilience through stronger early warning systems, anticipatory planning, climate-resilient infrastructure, disaster risk financing and resilient recovery.

He also highlighted the importance of operationalising the SADC Humanitarian Emergency Operations Centre in Nacala, Mozambique, to strengthen regional preparedness and response capacity.

On health, Magosi expressed solidarity with the government and people of the Democratic Republic of Congo amid the Bundibugyo Virus Disease outbreak, which he said had resulted in significant loss of life and placed additional strain on the country’s health system.

He also welcomed the emphasis placed on sustainable health financing at the Joint Meeting of SADC Ministers of Finance and Ministers of Health held in Harare last month.

“The message from the Ministers was clear: investing in health is not merely a social obligation; it is a strategic investment in human capital, economic productivity, and long-term sustainable development,” he said.

Zambia elections

Magosi also expressed the region’s support for Zambia ahead of its General Elections on Thursday, 13 August 2026.

He said SADC took pride in the electoral process in the region as a means of strengthening democratic and governance obligations under the SADC Principles and Guidelines governing democratic elections.

“We therefore extend our best wishes to the people of Zambia as they take this critical step in selecting a government.

“As a community, we stand in solidarity with Zambia and remain confident that the elections will further strengthen peace, enhance unity, ensure stability, and facilitate development in the country,” he said. 

Magosi also commended South Africa for hosting the 9th SADC Industrialisation Week and Exhibition in Durban from 26 to 31 July, saying the event demonstrated the region’s determination to accelerate industrialisation, deepen regional integration, attract strategic investment and unlock sustainable economic growth. 

The Ordinary Meeting of the SADC Council of Ministers is being held in Durban as Member States consider regional priorities and provide strategic guidance towards the implementation of the SADC Vision and shared development goals. – SAnews.gov.za

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