Cyril Ramaphosa calls for One-Stop Border Posts to enhance trade in Southern Africa

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged the rapid construction of One-Stop Border Posts throughout Southern Africa, emphasizing that trucks transporting goods should not be delayed for days at these borders. This call was made during his concluding remarks at the 46th SADC Summit, held in Durban, under the theme "Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Industrialization through Infrastructure Development, Agricultural and Critical Minerals Transformation in Pursuit of a Just World."

The summit took place with Ramaphosa serving as chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The summit addressed various issues, including the acceleration of industrialization, strengthening regional peace and security, increasing investment in infrastructure, energy, water, digital connectivity, and climate-resilient food systems, as well as addressing the immigration crisis.

President Ramaphosa highlighted the summit's reaffirmation that individual countries' prosperity, security, and development are interconnected with the region's overall well-being. He emphasized the need to convert natural resources such as critical minerals, agricultural potential, and renewable energy into factories, farms, enterprises, skills, exports, and jobs.

To achieve this, he stressed the importance of building infrastructure that connects economies, including the development of regional corridors. Ramaphosa urged corridor countries to finalize legal and institutional arrangements to operationalize these corridors. He also committed to accelerating the establishment of identified One-Stop Border Posts, aiming to enable trucks carrying goods across Southern Africa to avoid lengthy border waits.

The president expressed his determination to enhance access to electricity across the region, aiming for at least 85% coverage by 2030, ensuring reliable, affordable, and sustainably generated electricity. He further pledged to strengthen regional electricity interconnection and investment in energy infrastructure to facilitate efficient energy transfer between countries.

Additionally, he emphasized the importance of addressing water and sanitation needs, ensuring reliable access to clean water and adequate sanitation for all. President Ramaphosa stressed that infrastructure investment is crucial for human dignity, economic opportunity, and regional productive capacity.