To: ALL Media
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will participate in the 9th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Industrial Week (SIW), scheduled from 27 to 31 July 2026 at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) in KwaZulu-Natal.
Through its exhibition and participation in strategic panel discussions, the CSIR will showcase its capabilities in cybersecurity, defence and security, advanced agriculture, manufacturing, mining, critical minerals, pharmaceutical localisation, digital infrastructure and technology localisation.
The 2026 SADC Industrial Week is being held under the theme, “Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Industrialisation through Infrastructure Development, Agricultural and Critical Minerals Transformation in Pursuit of a Just World.” The event presents an important opportunity for the CSIR to strengthen its regional profile, demonstrate its science, technology and innovation capabilities, and deepen engagement with governments, industry, development finance institutions and multilateral organisations.
SIW is expected to host Heads of State, including His Excellency, President Cyril Ramaphosa, cabinet ministers, senior government officials, development finance institutions, research organisations, academia, investors, industry leaders and international development partners from across the continent.
The event is underpinned by the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap (2015–2063), which promotes industrial diversification, regional integration, value addition and competitiveness through science, technology and innovation. This strategy aligns with Agenda 2063 and identifies priority sectors such as agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, minerals beneficiation, manufacturing and infrastructure for regional development. It places emphasis on the critical role of science, technology and innovation as cross-cutting enablers of industrial transformation, making institutions such as the CSIR central to its implementation.
The CSIR will exhibit and participate in the following panel discussions:
Harnessing the Technology–Agriculture Nexus: Industrialising the Southern African Agricultural Value Chains towards Sustainable Trade, Export and Development;
Pharmaceuticals: Localisation of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Production;
Capabilities for Supporting Industrialisation Strategy for Defence and Security;
Infrastructure and Logistics: eMicromobility – Build in Africa for Africa;
Digital Infrastructure, Cybersecurity and Defence Modernisation;
Building Regional Critical Mineral Value Chains in SADC; and
Technology Localisation – The Missing Link Between Innovation and Industrialisation.
Members of the media are invited to visit the CSIR exhibition stand and engage CSIR experts on the organisation’s work in supporting industrial development, regional competitiveness and technology-enabled socioeconomic impact.
Contact details for media enquiries:
Phetolo Phatsibi: Media Relations Practitioner
Email: @email
Mobile: 081 396 8871
About the CSIR:
The CSIR, an entity of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, is one of the leading scientific and technology research, development and implementation organisations in Africa. Constituted by an Act of Parliament in 1945 as a science council, the CSIR undertakes directed and multidisciplinary research and technological innovation, as well as industrial and scientific development, to improve the quality of life of all South Africans. For more information, visit www.csir.co.za.
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Published 27 July 2026