The May 2026 workshop, titled the Southern Africa Deep Dive, serves as a functional follow-up to the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the organizations in October 2025. By combining the Bank’s capital and policy reach with IOM’s migration data, the institutions intend to move beyond strategic dialogue into project-based implementation.
Kennedy Mbekeani, AfDB Director General for Southern Africa, argued that regional integration hinges on the safe movement of people as much as it does on physical infrastructure. This sentiment is supported by global data: IOM Sub-Regional Director Yitna Getachew noted that approximately 60 per cent of international migrants are active members of the workforce, directly impacting the economic stability of their host and home communities.
Operational efforts will now focus on three primary channels: integrating technology into trade corridors, addressing climate-driven displacement, and fostering human capital through labor mobility. These initiatives are designed to treat migration as a development asset rather than a separate policy silo, with future efforts targeting diaspora engagement and specialized financing to support long-term resilience across the region.
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