President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Thursday attend the seventh Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Summit of Heads of State and Government in Gaborone, Botswana.

SACU Summits are held annually to discuss progress on the implementation of the agreed upon Work Programme. 

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya explained that the seventh Summit would consider progress made on the implementation of a refocused Work Programme that prioritized industrialisation through the development of regional value chains; regional financing mechanisms; trade facilitation and logistics; and implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.

Magwenya said the Summit would further consider the five-year SACU Strategic Plan as approved by the Council of Ministers on the 2nd June 2022. 

Member States include the Republic of Botswana as the summit host and the current chair of the Union; the Kingdom of Eswatini; the Kingdom of Lesotho; the Republic of Namibia; and the Republic of South Africa. 

Ramaphosa will be accompanied by Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel, Deputy Minister of Finance David Masondo and Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Fikile Majola.