President Cyril Ramaphosa will undertake a working visit to the Republic of Angola, on Wednesday and Thursday, to attend the forty-third Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The Southern African leaders will focus on sustainable industrialisation of the region.

Ramaphosa, as the outgoing chairperson of the SADC Organ, will on Wednesday attend the Troika Summit on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.

The Summit will discuss the political and security situation in the region with particular focus on Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Organ Troika Summit will also reflect on consolidation of democracy in SADC and deliberate the socio-economic outlook for the Community.

During the forty-third SADC Summit, Angolan President João Lourenço will take over the chairpersonship of SADC from Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Presidency explained that the Summit will also hear the announcement of the 2022 SADC Secondary School Essay Competition, the Media Awards and the presentation of the Medal of Honour to one of the SADC founders – the late and first President of the Republic of Botswana Seretse Khama.

The Summit has been preceded by the SADC Council of Ministers meeting on Sunday and Monday, and there will be a Ministerial Committee of the Organ on Wednesday.

Ramaphosa will be accompanied by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Dr Naledi Pandor, the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Thandi Modise, and the Minister in the Presidency responsible for State Security Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.