ANTANARIVO – July 29, 2025
Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina officially opened the 8th SADC Industrialisation Week in Antananarivo on Tuesday, calling for stronger regional efforts to transform agriculture, accelerate the energy transition, and position Southern Africa as a competitive industrial hub.
The event, held at the Novotel Hotel and Spa ahead of the 45th SADC Summit, gathered government officials, regional business leaders, diplomats, and development partners under the theme: Promoting Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC.
Addressing the delegates, Rajoelina said the region could not achieve sustainable growth without a deliberate shift toward industrialisation and energy reform. “There is no economic growth without job creation, and there is no job creation without industrialisation,” he said. “And industrialisation cannot happen without reliable, affordable energy.”
He announced that Madagascar is scaling up solar investment with plans to install 100MW annually, aiming to produce 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2028. Between 2020 and 2024, the share of renewables in the country’s energy mix rose from 16% to 28%.
Rajoelina said the government’s “One District, One Factory” initiative has led to the creation of 57 semi-industrial plants across the country, adding that the programme is already creating jobs, driving innovation, and adding local value to agricultural produce.
Turning to food security, he said Madagascar was determined to use its fertile land to combat poverty. “By mechanising our agriculture and supporting farmers, we can triple rice yields from 2.5 to 9 tonnes per hectare in the coming years,” he said.
He identified five urgent regional priorities: building value chains, modernising agriculture, empowering women and youth, fast-tracking the green energy transition, and mobilising investment through public-private partnerships.
The President thanked the SADC Secretariat, led by Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration Angele Makombo N’tumba, as well as local industry captains and the diplomatic corps, for their contributions to the 8th Industrialisation Week.
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