Increasing and sustaining economic growth levels is a crucial factor in achieving the AU vision of a prosperous, healthy and safe Africa. However, poor people need to be able to participate in and enjoy the benefits of this growth.  In Southern Africa, disease, hunger, political instability, insecurity and inequalities hinder people’s ability to participate in opportunities that growth might provide. Reducing vulnerability and protecting the poorest is therefore central to the reduction of poverty in the region.

In the context of its regional programme, DFID SA has worked with regional and national institutions to address some of these drivers of vulnerability.

Eight countries in Southern Africa are classified as HIV and AIDS hyper-endemic. In addition to the devastating human impact, this also contributes to labour market constraints, affecting growth. The links between health and poverty are well known: poor people are more likely to experience ill health and the poor are vulnerable to shocks such as illness, which exacerbate impoverishment. For ten years DFID-SA has been supporting innovative behaviour change work through Soul City, a multi-media HIV and AIDS communications programme. The £19m programme rolls out Behaviour Change Communication activities and capacity across the region.

Water resources are already scarce in Southern Africa and getting scarcer with increased demand and climate change. Managing shared water resources must be dealt with at a cross border level. DFID-SA is supporting the development of river basin authorities in key river basins in Southern Africa. We contribute as a partner in GTZ’s Trans-boundary Water Resource Management Programme.

With at least three million people annually suffering food insecurity, hunger is predictable in southern Africa. DFID-SA has been working with SADC to address this at the regional level, through the Regional Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis programme which facilitates the sharing of knowledge and increases understanding of vulnerability across the region through building capacity of the Vulnerability Assessment Committees. In addition we have increased awareness of policy options to address chronic hunger in the region.  

The impacts of climate change, from increased temperatures to precipitation changes, are not confined within national borders, and impact most on poor people. These need to be tackled collaboratively by neighbouring countries. DFID-SA’s new Regional Climate Change Programme (RCCP) focuses on increasing the region’s ability to adapt to the impacts of climate change. RCCP has prioritised supporting the SADC member states to form a consensus position in the run up to the international Copenhagen negotiations.