Farai Mabeza
Zimbabwe has hailed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a major opportunity for local businesses to expand into regional markets, as the country records strong growth in merchandise exports.
Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador Albert Chimbindi, said the continental trade agreement offered unprecedented opportunities for Zimbabwean exporters by reducing trade barriers and opening access to a market of more than one billion people.
Speaking at the 2026 Buyers’ Seminar in Harare, Chimbindi described AfCFTA as “one of the most significant opportunities for African businesses in our generation”.
The seminar brought together regional and international buyers from Mozambique, Zambia, Rwanda, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Eswatini, the United Kingdom, Poland, China and Germany, providing a platform for local producers to establish commercial relationships and explore export opportunities.
Chimbindi also highlighted Zimbabwe’s expanded access to the Chinese market following the implementation of China’s expanded zero-tariff framework for African countries, which provides duty-free access for Zimbabwean products.
He said the development presented significant opportunities across agriculture, horticulture, manufacturing and value-added industries. Negotiated export protocols for blueberries, citrus and avocados were also evidence of growing confidence in Zimbabwe’s agricultural production systems and quality standards.
Meanwhile, ZimTrade chief executive Allan Majuru highlighted the country\'s improving export performance, revealing that merchandise exports increased by 61% to US$10.4 billion between January and September 2026, compared with US$6.48 billion during the same period last year.
Imports rose by 34.8% to US$9.76 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of US$637.4 million, against a deficit of US$764 million in the comparable period in 2025.
Majuru said sustaining this progress would require greater investment in productive capacity, technology, equipment and domestic value addition.
“Greater processing at home can then create demand for local suppliers while developing technical skills and employment,” he said.
He emphasised that investment decisions must be informed by market demand, with businesses understanding buyers’ requirements, purchasing capacity and acceptable prices before committing resources to production.
The Buyers’ Seminar also generated potential business opportunities, including supplying agricultural inputs to Angola, processed foods to Zambia, construction materials to Rwanda and mining equipment and services to the DRC.
Majuru said Zimbabwe’s trading arrangements under SADC, COMESA, the UK-ESA Economic Partnership Agreement and China’s expanded zero-tariff framework provided important platforms for developing export markets.
He said the priority was to translate buyer engagements and negotiations into concrete export deals that strengthen Zimbabwean businesses and deepen the country\'s participation in regional and international trade.
