Farai Mabeza
Zimbabwean exporters are set to intensify efforts to expand into Mozambique when the Maputo International Trade Fair (FACIM) 2026 opens next week, with the country seeking to turn growing bilateral trade into new business opportunities.
FACIM, Mozambique’s premier multi-sectoral trade exhibition, runs from August 31 to September 6 in Maputo, bringing together businesses, investors, government officials and buyers from across Africa and beyond.
Zimbabwe’s participation comes as trade with its eastern neighbour continues to grow. Zimbabwean exports to Mozambique increased by four percent from US$255.1 million in 2024 to US$266.2 million last year, highlighting the importance of the market to the country’s export drive.
ZimTrade, the national trade development and promotion organisation, will lead Zimbabwean companies at a dedicated pavilion showcasing manufactured goods, agricultural produce, processed foods, building materials, engineering products, arts and crafts and other export-ready products.
ZimTrade chief executive Allan Majuru said FACIM offered Zimbabwean businesses an opportunity to establish practical commercial relationships in a strategically important regional market.
“Our participation at FACIM is about creating linkages that place Zimbabwe firmly at the centre of regional trade routes,” Majuru said.
“FACIM continues to open real, actionable opportunities for Zimbabwean exporters, and the strengthened relations between our two countries make this the right time for businesses to engage the Mozambican market directly,” he said.
Majuru said Mozambique’s proximity, existing trade links and demand for competitively priced regional products gave Zimbabwean companies a strong platform from which to expand.
“Zimbabwean companies are well positioned to grow their presence in Mozambique because we already have strong trade linkages, a shared border and relatively easy access to the market,” he said.
“What is important now is for our businesses to take advantage of these conditions, understand the needs of Mozambican buyers and offer products that are competitively priced, reliable and suited to the market.”
The push into Mozambique also comes amid efforts by the two governments to improve the conditions for cross-border trade. The inaugural Zimbabwe-Mozambique Bi-National Commission, held in November last year, committed both countries to measures aimed at improving the movement of goods and people.
Projects under consideration include a dry port along the Beira Corridor, modernisation of the fuel pipeline and a one-stop border post at Forbes-Machipanda. The two countries have also committed to addressing tariff and non-tariff barriers under SADC and AfCFTA frameworks.
For Zimbabwean exporters, FACIM therefore presents an opportunity to move beyond political commitments and translate closer bilateral relations into actual orders, distribution agreements and long-term partnerships.
The fair will also allow companies to gather market intelligence, understand buyer preferences and assess competing products, helping exporters refine pricing, packaging and product specifications for the Mozambican market.
With more than 50 000 visitors expected, FACIM provides Zimbabwe with an important platform to position itself as a competitive and reliable source of goods for the wider regional market.
