Gaborone, Botswana | 11 June 2025

The opening day of the AUSC Region 5 meeting in Gaborone set the tone for renewed leadership, collaboration and vision in African sports development. In a key moment of the session, Region 5 CEO Stanley Mutoya publicly acknowledged Angola and Zimbabwe as exemplary nations in the area of institutional communication within the youth and sports sector.

“Angola is doing work that inspires. Their integrated, strategic and institutional approach to public communication should be a model for other Member States,” said Mutoya.

Angola was represented at the meeting by Edgar Leandro, Director of Communication at the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The session brought together senior experts and commissioners in Marketing, International Relations, and Business Development across Region 5, as part of the broader effort to reposition African sports diplomacy for modern times.

Key themes discussed included:
• The role of sport in African independence and identity;
• Sport diplomacy as a tool for peace, development and global engagement;
• The need to build pan-African platforms for talent development;
• Strict compliance with regional rules and codes of conduct.

With full participation from Region 5 officials and national representatives, the meeting reaffirmed Southern Africa’s commitm