from ODIRILE TOTENG in Gaborone, Botswana
Botswana Bureau
GABORONE, (CAJ News) – THE Southern African Development Community (SADC) has reported that its strategy to enhance financial inclusion through digital means is yielding results, with around 78 percent of adults now financially included.
The figure, as of 30 December 2025, represents an increase from 60 percent in 2016.
Officials disclosed the progress as the 16-nation bloc convened its recently concluded 10th Financial Inclusion Forum, held in Pretoria, South Africa.
Policymakers, regulators, private sector leaders, development partners and other key stakeholders attended the forum.
Yolanda De Figueiredo Sabino, opening the forum, said the bloc had achieved notable progress in expanding access to financial services across the region.
“The forum continues to play a critical role in supporting the implementation of the SADC Strategy on Financial Inclusion and SME Access to Finance (2023–2028), as well as broader regional integration objectives,” she said.
SMEs is the acronym for small and medium enterprises.
However, the official emphasised that limited and uneven implementation of regional priority actions across member states, often due to differing development contexts and priorities, remained a key challenge in promoting financial inclusion.
Sabino therefore highlighted the need to strengthen the regional monitoring framework.
Arif Ismail, Chairperson of the SADC Committee of Central Bank Governors’ Payment Systems Subcommittee, delivered the keynote address.
He said the next phase of the bloc’s work must focus on permanence and building financial resilience, not just financial access.
“This means moving beyond the question of how many people have accounts to the harder question of how many people can survive a shock because of those accounts,” Ismail said.
Discussions at the forum focused on digital transformation, regional payment systems, electronic Know Your Customer processes and the role of Digital Public Infrastructure, among other issues.
The Botswana-headquartered SADC, founded in 1980, comprises Angola, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
– CAJ News