Media Advisory: HSRC webinar on debt, trade, and infrastructure – The political economy of regional integration

Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)

Press Release

Online, Monday 17 August 2026 – As leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) descend on Durban for the 46th SADC Summit, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) will coincidentally host a webinar titled: Debt, trade, and infrastructure: The political economy of regional integration. The webinar will take place on Tuesday 18 August 2026 from 10h00 to 11h30.

This webinar will provide a transdisciplinary platform for scholars, policymakers, researchers, civil society actors, and development practitioners to critically engage with the political economy of trade integration, sovereign debt, and infrastructure development within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework.

Discussions will explore whether current development financing models can sustainably support Africa’s regional integration agenda and examine policy alternatives that may strengthen inclusive and transformative integration across the continent.

The conversation is particularly relevant to AfCFTA, which aims to accelerate industrialisation, infrastructure development, and economic transformation through increased intra-African trade in goods and services.

The webinar will be facilitated by Dr Nwabisa Kolisi (HSRC) and will feature presentations by Dr Ongama Mtimka (Nelson Mandela University) and Brian Dlamini (Development Bank of Southern Africa).

ENDS.

Details of the event:

Date: 18 August 2026

Time: 10h00–11h30

Venue: Online

Online Link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/7600ac91-3f55-4b01-a2cf-c1f5f0b5bab6@161524ab-4f53-4300-a494-dcdbaeb8e86c

For media enquiries, please contact Adziliwi Nematandani: Cell: +27 82 765 9191 Email: anematandani@hsrc.ac.za

Join the Conversation:

#AfCFTA #SADCSummit #BetterAfricaBetterWorld

Notes to the editor

About the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)

Established in 1968, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) is South Africa’s statutory research agency and the largest dedicated social science and humanities research institute on the African continent. The HSRC generates evidence and insights that inform public policy, support development and improve lives. Through high-quality research, strategic partnerships and research capacity development, the Council contributes to evidence-informed decision-making in South Africa, Africa and globally.

Join the conversation at:

www.hsrc.ac.za