SADC Ministers of Employment and Labour and Social Partners held their annual meeting in Victoria Falls, Republic of Zimbabwe from 27 to 28 March 2025. 

The Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Honourable Edgar Moyo, officially opened the meeting, reaffirming SADC’s unwavering commitment to sustainable socio-economic development and poverty eradication. The Honourable Minister underscored the critical importance of pro-employment strategies in productive sectors such as agriculture and mining, to ensure labour-intensive growth.

To address this, he urged Member States to adopt and implement responsive National Employment Policies (NEPs) that are well-integrated into broader socio-economic policies and strategies. Furthermore, he stressed the need for enhanced regional cooperation in sharing best practices to collectively tackle unemployment. Recognising the significant decent work deficits in the informal economy, he highlighted the urgent need to address structural transformation challenges to facilitate a transition to formality, including the creation of an enabling business environment and extension of social protection coverage.  

The SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration, Ms. Angele Makombo Ntumba, echoed concerns about the worsening employment situation across the region and called for urgent measures to develop more coherent and well-coordinated employment strategies. Given the persistently high youth unemployment rates, she highlighted the importance of equipping young people with the requisite skills, particularly through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes that promote joint-sector cooperation and active private sector participation.

She also stressed the need to adopt digital solutions to modernise TVET delivery, ensuring alignment with emerging economic opportunities. On labour migration, she acknowledged the progress made in migration governance in several Member States, particularly through the enactment of new legal frameworks on fair and ethical recruitment. She reaffirmed the Secretariat’s commitment to supporting Member States in strengthening regional integration efforts in employment and labour, especially through capacity-building and resource mobilisation for key interventions.

Following their deliberations, the Ministers and Social Partners: 

1. Noted that the Republic of Angola had become the first Member State to ratify the SADC Protocol on Employment and Labour of 2023, which establishes the regional cooperation framework on decent work. They welcomed the update that the signed instrument of ratification would be deposited with the Secretariat in due course. They commended the Republics of Botswana, Mozambique, United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe for signing the Protocol during the Summit held in August 2024. Accordingly, they urged all Member States to complete their national processes for signature and ratification by 2026 in line with previous Ministerial decisions. 
2. Urged Member States to develop and implement comprehensive National Employment Policies (NEPs) aligned with National Development Plans and macroeconomic policies, noting with concern that very few Member States had up-to-date frameworks. In this regard, they directed the Secretariat to develop regional guidelines to enhance coordination and implementation of these policies, emphasizing the need for dedicated budget allocations and stronger institutional capacity.
3. Noted that SADC Member States were progressively implementing the most recent international statistical standards to produce labour statistics and were, therefore, at an advanced stage towards finalisation of the SADC Labour Market Observatory (LMO). They approved the Revised SADC LMO data master plan and commended Botswana and South Africa for successfully launching their national Labour Market Information Systems. 
4. Endorsed the draft Revised SADC TVET Strategic Framework (2025-2034) which seeks to enhance skills development and employability, particularly for youth, through closer collaboration between training institutions and industries. Accordingly, the Ministers and Social Partners referred the strategic framework to SADC Ministers of Education and Training and Science, Technology and Innovation for further consideration and approval in June 2025. 
5. Noted progress in the implementation of the SADC Labour Migration Action Plan (2020-2025), noting the plans by the SADC Secretariat to convene a Joint Meeting of Chiefs of Immigration and Labour Commissioners to enhance regional cooperation on labour migration issues. Among other actions to enhance labour migration governance, they urged Member States to establish and strengthen dedicated labour migration coordination structures and units. 
6. Approved the establishment of a SADC Employment and Labour Sector Forum on Labour Relations in the Public Sector to strengthen labour administration systems by promoting the harmonisation of laws and practices governing public and private sector workers. In addition, they requested the Chair of SADC to undertake consultations with key stakeholders with a view to proposing the establishment of a SADC Public Service Commissions Forum. 
7. Noted Member States’ commitment to uphold international labour standards and commended Zambia for ratifying the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 190 on violence and harassment in the workplace. They urged all Member States to expedite ratification of remaining prioritised conventions, particularly those related to occupational safety and health (Convention No. 155 and Convention No. 187). In this regard, they requested continued technical support from the ILO for gap analyses and alignment of national laws.
8. Endorsed Zimbabwe’s candidacy for the position of President of the 113th International Labour Conference, to be held in June 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland, and requested Member States’ support for the bid. 
9. Received reports from the SADC Private Sector Forum and the Southern Africa Trade Union Coordination Council and reiterated their commitment to social dialogue at national and regional levels. 

The Ministers and Social Partners ended their annual meeting with a working visit to the Zambezi Crocodile Farm, where they gained insights into Zimbabwe's approaches to social security and workplace safety and health in the agriculture sector. The visit included a guided tour showcasing sustainable farming operations, highlighting the importance of decent work in enhancing labour protection and productivity in key economic sectors.  

Thirteen (13) Member States (Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe) participated in the meeting, together with Social Partners who were led by the SADC Private Sector Forum (SPSF) and Southern Africa Trade Union Coordination Council (SATUCC). Representatives of the ILO and International Organisation for Migration (IOM) also participated in the meeting and reiterated their support to regional integration in SADC.   Remarks by Hon Minister Edgar Moyo / Remarks by SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration