On 12 October 2026, Mr. Chulvat Narinthrangura, Director-General of the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), met with H.E. Mr. Elias Mpedi Magosi, Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), to discuss ways to strengthen development cooperation between Thailand and the region. SADC comprises 16 Member States.  Also in attendance were Lieutenant Sorawut Preededilok, Minister at the Royal Thai Embassy in Helsinki (currently on assignment at the Thailand International Cooperation Agency; Ms. Chidchanok Malayawong, Director of Development Promotion and Coordination Division; Mrs. Teerata Rojrangsee, Director of the Africa Division; and other relevant officials.  The meeting took place in the meeting room of the Department of South Asian, Middle Eastern and African Affairs.

Both sides agreed in principle to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as a framework for development cooperation.  They also exchanged views on potential areas of collaboration that could respond to SADC Member States’ interests, including agriculture and food security, public health, climate and disaster resilience, green energy and economy, tourism, mineral industry, and human resource development.  Triangular cooperation with other development partners was also highlighted. 

The discussion also covered the potential role of SADC in coordinating Member States’ needs and extending cooperation at the regional level.  Both sides expressed their intentions in pursuing practical activities that align with those needs and yield tangible benefits under Thailand’s relaunching of the Thailand–Africa Initiative (TAI).  TICA has already established Thailand–Africa Development Forum (TADF) as a platform to support the TAI.