Strategies and policies for the integration of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises into the industrialization process in Southern Africa

Following the adoption of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Industrialization Strategy in 2015, Southern African countries have come to recognize that micro, small and medium scale enterprises must play a key role in the region’s industrialization. The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in partnership with the Government Eswatini, hosted the twenty-fifth session of the Inter-Governmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts of Southern Africa under the theme, “Strategies and policies for the integration of micro, small and medium scale enterprises in the industrialization process in Southern Africa”. This report was commissioned by ECA as the thematic paper to lay the foundation for the discussion during the meeting. An outline of the report is provided below. The term SADC denotes the Southern African region.