GABORONE, Botswana — The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will convene a high-level roundtable of energy, petroleum and gas ministers and undertake a site visit to the Lobito Refinery in Angola from 19 to 20 October 2026.
The two-day meeting will be held in Lobito, in Benguela Province, and will be hosted by the Government of Angola, the SADC Secretariat announced in a press release issued on 30 September 2026.
The roundtable follows recommendations of the SADC Ministerial Retreat on Energy, Petroleum, Gas and Mineral Resources held in May 2026 in Skukuza, Mpumalanga, South Africa. The retreat examined critical challenges affecting the security of energy, petroleum and gas supply in the region and underscored the need to deepen regional cooperation and resilience in the face of global uncertainty and commodity price volatility.
During its meeting in Durban, South Africa, in August 2026, the SADC Council of Ministers took note of the conclusions of the ministerial retreat and of Angola’s commitment to strengthening regional cooperation in the energy, petroleum and gas sectors.
Angola has since invited SADC Member States to consider investing in the Lobito Refinery project, which is being positioned as a strategic regional initiative aimed at consolidating the region’s self-sufficiency in petroleum products and reducing its vulnerability to global market uncertainties.
The Secretariat said the study visit will give participating Member States an opportunity to obtain first-hand information on the Lobito Refinery project and to engage in focused discussions on regional participation and investment opportunities, including through equity shareholding. The visit is expected to assess the project as a flagship regional initiative and facilitate dialogue on how Member States can take part.
The high-level roundtable will provide a platform for ministers to share perspectives on strategic priorities in the energy, petroleum and gas sectors and to explore practical measures to strengthen regional cooperation. Discussions will feed into ongoing initiatives to improve energy security, enhance regional resilience and promote greater self-sufficiency to meet the region’s energy needs.
