frayintermedia has spent the past six months working with SADC and the German Agency GIZ to publish a list of stories about successes in Southern Africa called SADC Success Stories.
From the use of Botswana leather in luxury cars throughout the world to mobile banking in Malawi, the project has seen a dedicated team of journalists traveling through SADC to document improvements in the region.
Speaking at the launch of the second Volume, SADC Executive Secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax pointed to benefits which had accrued over the years and which have been covered in the booklets in English, French and Portuguese.
"For a long time, our region has been painted by stories of diseases, conflict, hunger and poverty," she said "but as a region, we have moved many steps in the positive direction. Today we are gathered here to send a clear message that we have positive stories to tell. As you read these stories, you will realise that our citizens are on the path to prosperity. Thanks to the dreams of our founding fathers, through regional integration, SADC is slowly but surely realising regional economic transformation and sustainable socio-economic development."
The second volume follows the first SADC Success Stories publication in 2015 and in this edition the focus is on economic transformation and sustainable socio-economic development in agriculture and agricultural research, climate change, financial services, industrialisation and regional value chains, infrastructure, peace, security and conflict mediation, tourism and conservation, trade, and water, highlighting the links between regional policy making and national implementation.
The first edition reached over a million people in the region and the latest edition aims at a two million reach. There are also nine social media videos and promotional material linked to the launch which can be found online and on Facebook. The previous edition included social media for the first time and can be found at
https://www.facebook.com/SADCStories/
The frayintermedia team traveled to Zambia, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Mauritius, and worked with freelance journalists from the DRC, and Zimbabwe in compiling this edition. We also had support from officials in various sectors in Angola and Tanzania and Swaziland which helped in completing the assignment. Some of the highlights for the team included filming Fish Farming off Mahebourg in Mauritius, compiling desert footage in Namibia by drone, seeing how farming has improved development in southern Malawi and watching elephants walk through construction sites at Kazangula Ferry on the border with Botswana and Zambia.
We are pleased to have been involved in this project documenting the successes in various sectors through the sub-continent. frayintermedia will keep you posted about upcoming videos and infographics as well as other content linked to SADC Success Stories, Volume II.
Follow up tweets here
https://twitter.com/SadcStories