The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat is the principal executive institution of SADC and it is responsible for the strategic planning, coordination, and management of SADC programmes. It is also responsible for the implementation of decisions of SADC policy and institutions such as the Summit, the Troikas and Council of Ministers. It is headed by an Executive Secretary and has its headquarters in Gaborone, Botswana. The Secretariat is guided by the Institutional Vision and Mission.
Established in 1992, SADC is committed to Regional Integration and poverty eradication in Southern Africa. It comprises of 16 Member States; Angola, Botswana, Union of Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.