Ethekwini: President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that eThekwini will host the 46th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in August 2026. This decision is seen as a recognition of the progress the city has made in recent years.
According to South African Government News Agency, President Ramaphosa stated that hosting the summit is a worthy acknowledgment of the collaborative efforts to restore confidence in eThekwini. The President highlighted the significant progress made since the establishment of the Presidential eThekwini Working Group in April 2024. This initiative, a partnership between The Presidency, the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, and the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), aims to address service delivery challenges, improve infrastructure, stabilize governance, and promote economic growth within the municipality.
President Ramaphosa noted that the city has transitioned from the brink of decline to early recovery. However, he emphasized the need for ongoing structural economic reform to achieve sustained growth. Reflecting on the early meetings of 2024, the President recalled the uncertain atmosphere and fragile confidence that initially surrounded the city's situation. He expressed satisfaction with the tangible signs of recovery and stability now evident in eThekwini.
The President's remarks followed a meeting with the Presidential eThekwini Working Group (PeWG) and the unveiling of statues honoring struggle icons Nelson Mandela and former African National Congress President Oliver Reginald Tambo in the city. As the current chair of SADC, President Ramaphosa expressed his eagerness to welcome regional leaders to eThekwini, a city with historical significance as the launch site of the African Union, to discuss critical issues affecting Southern Africa.
South Africa recently assumed the interim leadership of SADC after Madagascar relinquished its chair due to political developments affecting its capacity to lead. President Ramaphosa was elected interim Chairperson during a virtual Extraordinary Summit on 7 November 2025. South Africa, initially appointed as the incoming 46th Chair during the 45th SADC Summit in Madagascar in August 2025, has now taken over earlier than planned.
Under the theme 'Advancing Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation, and Energy Transition for a Resilient SADC,' South Africa will guide the regional body until the summit formally decides on leadership in August 2026. The upcoming summit is expected to reinforce South Africa's leadership within SADC and position eThekwini as a hub for regional diplomacy and economic collaboration.