On August 17, 1992 (the 19th lunar month), the Southern African Development Community was established.

On August 17, 1992, leaders of the 10 member states of the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (abbreviated as Sadak or Sadik) held a meeting in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, and signed three other documents, including the Treaty on the Southern African Development Community. The Southern African Development Community was born on the basis of Sadak. The purpose of the community is to establish an open economy on the basis of mutual benefit, balance and equality, break down tariff barriers, promote mutual trade and investment, realize free flow of people, goods and services, gradually unify tariffs and currencies, and ultimately achieve regional economic integration. Sadak, founded in Lusaka in April 1980, has made positive contributions to promoting the economic development of southern Africa. The establishment of the Southern African Development Community has adapted to the development trend of grouping and regionalization in Africa and the world economy. The organization's summit held in Eswatini in 1993 ratified the Community Treaty and the Immunities and Preferential Agreement (the two documents came into effect on October 5). The organizational structure of the Community includes: Summit (held annually), Council of Ministers, departmental technical committees, Standing Committee of Officials, Permanent Secretariat, Tribunal, etc. Headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. In December 1994, nine members of the organization joined the newly established Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.