President Advocate Duma Gideon Boko is attending the 46th Ordinary Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government, being held today, 17 August 2026, in Durban, South Africa.
President Boko arrived in Durban ahead of the high-level regional meeting, joining fellow SADC Heads of State and Government to deliberate on key issues affecting the region.
Hosted by South Africa at the Durban International Convention Centre, the summit is being held under the theme: “Resilient, sustainable and inclusive industrialisation through Infrastructure Development, Agricultural and Critical Minerals Transformation in Pursuit of a Just World.”
The summit is expected to focus on regional industrialisation, infrastructure development, agricultural transformation and the sustainable development of critical minerals. These priorities are central to SADC’s efforts to strengthen economic integration, promote sustainable development and enhance the region’s capacity to derive greater value from its natural resources.
Regional peace and security are also expected to feature prominently on the summit agenda, particularly the security and humanitarian situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
For Botswana, President Boko’s participation provides an opportunity for the country to contribute to discussions on regional economic development, integration, peace and security. It also offers Botswana a platform to engage with regional leaders on strategies to unlock greater economic value from the region’s natural resources while promoting inclusive and sustainable development.
The summit comes as SADC continues efforts to strengthen the implementation of its long-term development priorities and deepen cooperation among its 16 member states.
South Africa has assumed the SADC chairmanship for the next 12 months, taking over leadership of the regional bloc from the previous chair.
President Boko’s participation underscores Botswana’s continued commitment to regional cooperation and its role in collective efforts to promote economic integration, sustainable development, peace and stability across Southern Africa.
