France is forging new ties among African nations. The Africa Forward Summit 2026 – co-hosted by H.E. Kenyan President Dr William Samoei Ruto and H.E. French President Emmanuel Macron – in Nairobi, Kenya. Among the high-level leaders and delegates attending are the executive Secretary General of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), H.E. Mr. Elias M. Magosi, participated in the inaugural gathering that was held from the 11th to the 12th of May in Nairobi, under the theme “Africa-France Partnership for Innovation and Growth”.
On the margins of the Summit, the SADC Executive Secretary engaged with leaders, policymakers, development partners, business executives, and international stakeholders on matters of strategic importance to the SADC region. Discussions centred on enhancing regional integration, promoting industrialisation, attracting investment, strengthening infrastructure development, advancing renewable energy initiatives, improving trade facilitation, and accelerating implementation of regional development priorities under the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030. Participation in the Africa Forward Summit was important for the SADC region as it provided a strategic platform to strengthen cooperation with international partners and position Southern Africa as an attractive destination for investment, trade, innovation, and sustainable economic development.
SADC is the largest representative regional bloc on the continent and with in the African Union (AU). Its influence at the Africa Forward Summit 2026 was extensive as southern Africa and particularly South Africa can be a strong bridge to build a connection for the continent’s economies to industrialize in a sustainable way. Pretoria and President Cyril Ramaphosa as well as his SADC and AU counterparts must now utilize the opportunities offered by the Nairobi Summit to forge better ties with their respective private sectors and civil societies. The connection with Paris will be a thought provoking one, given the resentment the French face in the Sahel region of West Africa by their former colonies for their continued interference – both politically and economically.
The Summit further created opportunities for SADC to engage on key regional priorities including infrastructure financing, energy transition, climate resilience, digital innovation, industrial value chains, regional connectivity, and youth employment. These priorities remain central to SADC’s broader agenda of fostering economic growth, reducing poverty, enhancing regional competitiveness, and improving the livelihoods of citizens across the region.
South Africa is a nation rich in opportunity, that has to align its interests with SADC and the AU to attract investment, in trade, job creation, and business and industrial growth. Foreign investment is key to setting up the infrastructure necessary to grow the national and regional economies concerned. It is also necessary to reach the goals stated in the paragraph above.
For Ramaphosa, Ruto and their respective counterparts to do this, the necessary foundations must be laid through Summits such as Africa Forward 2026.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
