South Africa, Namibia strengthen partnership on women's empowerment

Chikunga said the two countries' strong historical, political and cultural ties provide a solid foundation for working together to improve the lives of women across the region.

South Africa and Namibia are set to deepen cooperation on gender equality and women's empowerment through a new bilateral agreement that will expand collaboration on tackling gender-based violence, increasing women's leadership and promoting economic inclusion.

The commitment was reaffirmed during a meeting between South Africa's Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, and Namibia's Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Dr Emma Kantema, on the sidelines of the Fourth Session of the South Africa-Namibia Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Pretoria.

Bilateral agreement to expand cooperation

Chikunga said the two countries' strong historical, political and cultural ties provide a solid foundation for working together to improve the lives of women across the region. She noted that South Africa and Namibia continue to cooperate through regional and international organisations, including the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union and the United Nations. A major outcome of the meeting is the planned signing of a bilateral agreement on gender equality and women's empowerment. The agreement, first initiated in 2022, establishes a framework for cooperation in six priority areas.

These include preventing and eliminating femicide and all forms of violence against women and girls, sharing expertise on legislation and programmes to combat gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), increasing women's representation in leadership positions, promoting women's economic participation, supporting women in agriculture, strengthening the Women, Peace and Security agenda, and encouraging joint participation in regional and international dialogues on entrepreneurship and women's empowerment.

Focus on implementation and regional leadership

Chikunga welcomed the progress made by officials from both countries in finalising the agreement and stressed that its success would depend on effective implementation. She said the signing of the agreement should be followed by a detailed implementation plan with clear targets, responsibilities and timelines to ensure meaningful progress in all priority areas.

The Minister also outlined South Africa's priorities as it prepares to assume the SADC Chairship, saying the country will work closely with member states to accelerate implementation of the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020–2030.

South Africa prepares for SADC chairship

As part of preparations for its regional leadership role, the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, together with the SADC Secretariat, convened a virtual meeting of SADC Ministers responsible for Gender and Women's Affairs in June 2026. South Africa is expected to host the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government in August 2026.

Chikunga said the country's chairship will coincide with the mid-term review of the RISDP, providing an opportunity to assess progress and strengthen implementation across the region. She reaffirmed South Africa's commitment to working with Namibia and other SADC member states to advance gender equality, empower women and support inclusive regional development through stronger partnerships.