SADC: History

May 1979 Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Frontline States is held in Gaborone, Botswana.

July 1979 Meeting of ministers responsible for economic development is held in Arusha, Tanzania.

April 1980 The Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) is formed in Lusaka, Zambia.

January 1990 Namibia joins the SADCC.

August 1992 The SADCC transforms into the Southern African Development Community (SADC) with the signing of the Declaration and Treaty of SADC at their Summit in Windhoek, Namibia.

September 1994 Following the end of apartheid, South Africa joins the SADC at the Heads of State Summit in Gaborone, Botswana.

August 1995 Mauritius joins the SADC.

September 1997 The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Seychelles join the SADC.

January 1999 Decision to develop the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) is made at a meeting of the SADC Heads of State and Government in Maputo, Mozambique.

January 2004 The Strategic Indicative Plan for the Organ (SIPO) is launched.

July 2004 Seychelles withdraws from the SADC.

August 2005 Madagascar joins the SADC.

January 2008 The SADC, along with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community (EAC), announce that they will be establishing the Africa Free Trade Zone.

August 2008 Seychelles rejoins the SADC.

October 2008 In October of 2008, the SADC, along with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community (EAC), announce that they will be establishing the Africa Free Trade Zone at a joint summit. This agreement will combine the current regional trade areas of the member organizations, creating a new trade zone spanning 26 countries.