Antananarivo, July 31, 2025 – Ivorian banker Gervais Atta has been elected as the head of the Southern African Development Community Business Council (SADC Business Council), with unanimous support from the Malagasy employers’ organization. This appointment comes as Madagascar is preparing to assume the rotating presidency of the SADC at the state level for the current year.
Comprising the main employers’ organizations of the 16 member states, the SADC Business Council serves as the official interface between the private sector and regional institutions. It plays a strategic role in economic integration, facilitating intra-regional trade, and promoting investment within the SADC.
Gervais Atta’s election marks an important step in consolidating the voice of the African private sector in regional bodies. It also recognizes the remarkable career of this experienced financier, who has made his mark in complex environments in Madagascar, the Comoros, and more recently at the helm of the new AFG Bank Madagascar, a subsidiary of the Atlantic Financial Group Holding.
Under his leadership, the SADC Business Council aims to strengthen synergies between national employers’ organizations, drive reforms towards a more competitive business environment, and position the private sector as a true driver of regional growth.
With this dual Malagasy presidency – institutional and economic – the year 2025 looks to be a decisive opportunity to align political and entrepreneurial ambitions in the region. Gervais Atta’s pan-African experience, combined with his pragmatism, should enable the Council to gain visibility, influence, and effectiveness in implementing the SADC’s economic agenda.
