SADC Steps Up Regional Communications: CAVS 2025–2030 Validated at Johannesburg Stakeholders Event
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat’s Communications and Public Relations Unit (CPRU) concluded a successful two-day regional stakeholder workshop in Johannesburg to validate the Draft SADC Communication, Awareness and Visibility Strategy (CAVS) 2025-2030.
The consultative validation process was led by the SADC Secretariat, with support from the Strengthening National-Regional Linkages in SADC (SNRL) Programme, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ.
The revised strategy comes as a successor to the SADC Communication and Promotional Strategy (2016–2020). Recognising the need for a modern, responsive communication framework, the SADC Secretariat embarked on an extensive revision process, involving wide-ranging stakeholder engagements across member states. This included audience perception surveys, physical and virtual consultations with National Media Coordinators and Public Relations Officers from all member states, discussions with media professionals and editors, as well as consultative workshops with communications officers from relevant ministries in the region.
Delivering the opening remarks on behalf of the SADC Secretariat, Head of CPRU, Ms Barbara Lopi, stated: “Once validated, the strategy will form the foundation for enhancing communication, stakeholder engagement, public outreach, capacity building, knowledge sharing, and SADC’s regional visibility and impact.”
The workshop brought together over thirty (30) communications experts from government ministries, parastatals, private sector organisations, international media as well as youth organizations. Participants engaged in collaborative discussions to review, refine, and build upon the lessons of the previous strategy while endorsing a robust new framework for the region. Participants were also introduced to the standardised communication guidelines developed by the SNRL Programme for their possible adoption and use in their respective countries.
The key highlight from the validation was the various member states' experiences sharing and success stories on successful communication initiatives such as the use of media awards, communication in a case of a crisis, collaboration with private and public media houses, leveraging on various communication tools and public awareness campaigns, all aimed at enhancing SADC's visibility across the region. Building on these insights, the finalized CAVS 2025-2030 strategy will be circulated for member states' review, paving the way for its submission to the Council of Ministers in August 2025 for approval.
About SNRL Programme
The Strengthening National Regional Linkages in SADC (SNRL) Programme is a technical assistance initiative funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), in partnership with the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The primary goal of the SNRL programme is to enhance regional integration among SADC Member States by fostering greater citizen support for SADC through effective communication.