The Southern African Development Community or SADC (pronounced
"Sadec") is an inter-governmental organisation in
Southern Africa which aims to encourage socio-economic cooperation
between its 16 member states.
Officially formed in 1992, a key SADC policy is the promotion of
sustainable and equitable economic growth, and socio-economic
development. It aims to accomplish this through implementing
efficient productive systems, more cooperation and integration,
sound governance, and lasting peace and security amongst member
states. Another SADC policy relevant to the market is to promote
and maximise productive employment and utilisation of
resources.
The SADC is currently implementing two core plans. The Regional
Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) is a 15 year plan
which provides a comprehensive roadmap for social and economic
policy development towards regional integration. One key priority
area identified is science and technology (S&T). The
