Rome – The SADC Secretariat and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have launched a push to mobilise over US$2.1 billion for regional investments aimed at transforming agri-food systems across Southern Africa.
The Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum for Southern Africa took place in Rome on 15 October 2025 under the theme “Accelerating Climate-Smart Investments and Trade Integration in Southern Africa’s Agri-food Systems,” as part of the World Food Forum events from 14 to 17 October.
The Hand-in-Hand Initiative, led by FAO in partnership with SADC, provides a platform to turn national and regional agri-food plans into investment-ready projects and link them with potential investors and development partners. At the Rome forum, countries and regions presented proposals for financing and partnerships.
The Southern Africa portfolio includes four priority areas: irrigation, mechanisation, agro-processing, and trade integration. These sectors were selected for their potential to boost resilience, add value to local produce, and increase intra-regional trade. The four thematic investment cases were validated by SADC member states during a regional workshop in Harare in September 2025.
The SADC delegation to Rome was led by Directors Domingos Gove (Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources) and Dhunraj Kassee (Industrial Development), while Patrice Talla represented FAO’s Sub-regional Office for Southern Africa. The forum also included private sector representatives, development finance institutions, NGOs, and delegations from Angola, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Ministers of agriculture led delegations from all countries except Madagascar. Angola and Zambia shared national and regional investment plans with investors and development banks.
The regional investment pitches seek funding of US$2.07 billion, divided as follows: irrigation US$0.6 billion, mechanisation US$0.3 billion, agro-processing US$0.4 billion, and trade facilitation US$0.8 billion. Projections indicate an average internal rate of return of 20%, a per capita income increase of US$223, and potential benefits for 7.8 million direct and 42.4 million indirect beneficiaries.
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