Regional programme

DFID in southern Africa: Regional Plan

As well as running programmes in South Africa, DFID SA has a programme of regional work for Southern Africa. The regional programme focuses on economic growth, trade and investment; resilient livelihoods and peace and security.

The regional programme seeks to help support:

• more and better trade between southern Africa countries, and helping countries to effectively participate in international trade;
• improved regional transport, telecommunications and energy to promote investment and job creation in the region;
• better prediction and planning of hunger and needs of the poor in southern African countries;
• the development of policies on the needs of orphans and vulnerable children living with AIDS in the region;
• predict the impact of climate change on the region's poor;
• countries in the region to come up with better ways of managing shared water resources;
• access more affordable medicines;
• the region to overcome the devastating impact of decades of conflict and war

DFID is supporting the regional economic communities (RECs) such as the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). DFID is also working with civil society organisations and businesses in the region.