Strategies and policies for the integration of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises into the industrialization process in Southern Africa

Following the adoption of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Industrialization Strategy in 2015, Southern African countries have come to recognize that micro, small and medium scale enterprises must play a key role in the region’s industrialization. The study is focused on enhancing the effective participation of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in agriculture and natural-resource-led industrialization, in particular agro processing and mineral processing value chains. Motivation for this selection lies in the priorities identified in the SADC Industrialization Strategy, which is discussed further in chapter 2. For agro processing in the study, the findings of a SADC study entitled “Profiling of the regional agro-processing value chains in the SADC region (hereinafter referred to as the SADC agro processing study), which was finalized by SADC in March 2019. In the study success factors are identified for upstream and downstream value chain participation in agro processing. Among the recommendations in the study is a five-point policy framework to improve the potential for establishing sustainable agro processing value chains in the region. This report’s agro processing discussion provide micro, small and medium-sized enterprises specific strategies and policies within this framework.