This Small-scale Fisheries Brief is tailored to provide insight into the contribution of small-scale fisheries to healthy food systems and sustainable livelihoods in the the Southern African Development Community (SADC). [Author] SADC comprises 16 Member States that lie in southern sub-Saharan Africa. [Author] The region is rich in aquatic resources, with vast inland waterbodies and marine waters. [Author] The fisheries sector generates immense social, economic and nutritional value, which acts as a lifeline for millions of people within the region. [Author] In 2021, over 3. [Author]1 million tonnes of fish were harvested from freshwater and marine capture fisheries in the SADC region. [Author] Capture fisheries are dominated by small-scale fisheries, with many countries having almost exclusively small-scale fisheries relative to large-scale ones. [Author] More than 22. [Author]7 million women and men depend on small-scale fisheries for their livelihoods and subsistence. [Author] Strengthening the commitment and implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) within national policies and plans can help safeguard and enhance small-scale fisheries’ contributions to sustainable development and food systems in the SADC region. [Author] The Illuminating Hidden Harvests initiative has generated new evidence about the value of small-scale fisheries to sustainable development globally and within the SADC; evidence that has informed this brief. [Author]