Botswana and the Southern African Development Community (SADC)

Since the mid-1970s, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has actively fostered regional integration and sustainable development in the Southern African Region. 

Today, its key partner in the region, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), comprises 16 member states headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana, with a collective population of over 350 million. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has closely collaborated with SADC, a pivotal regional organisation, since its establishment in 1992.

Cooperation with Botswana

Germany is supporting Botswana in addressing its key development challenges as the country continues its transformation into an upper-middle-income economy and a model for governance and social progress. The focus of cooperation is on bridging rural energy gaps and strengthening climate resilience in order to address water scarcity, safeguard agricultural productivity, and promote sustainable development.

Cooperation with the SADC

GIZ’s collaboration with SADC aligns with the organisation's focus on democratic values, sustainable development, and advancing regional development, peace, and economic growth. Nonetheless, the achievement of these goals is hindered by several challenges: economic inequalities, trade barriers, the impacts of climate change, deficits in governance, insufficient participation of women in economic processes, and difficulties in water management. Bridging the gap between regional commitments and public awareness continues to be a challenge. To achieve SADC's Vision 2050 of ‘a peaceful, inclusive, competitive, middle- to high-income industrialised region, where all citizens enjoy sustainable economic well-being, justice, and freedom’, GIZ collaborates with partners and commissioners to promote regional integration, economic growth, and sustainability.

Commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ amplifies its activities in the region through partnerships with the European Union (EU), Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and others, reaffirming its commitment to fostering sustainable change across Southern Africa.

Currently, joint programmes focus on:

• Enhancing national-regional linkages
• Promoting economic integration
• Addressing climate resilience, natural resource management, transboundary water issues, and energy sustainability.

GIZ supports regional trade development, value chains, and initiatives for women's economic empowerment within SADC. In climate resilience and natural resource management and energy, the aim is to share knowledge, apply adaptation models, and aiding the recovery of the tourism sector from COVID-19. GIZ also partners with local stakeholders to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy. Work in the Cubango-Okavango River Basin prioritises efficient water use through climate-smart practices. GIZ contributes to SADC’s efforts in harmonising water policies. Additionally, GIZ enhances strategic communication to improve the visibility and public awareness of regional integration.

Germany also collaborates with other Southern African countries on multi-country programmes that promote climate-friendly, energy-efficient air conditioning systems in order to reduce emissions from the region's growing cooling sector. Further cooperation involves restoring and sustainably managing agro-pastoralist systems in arid landscapes to enhance resilience and improve livelihoods.