Zimbabwe will host the COMESA summit and related events from October 19 to 22, putting the country in regional discussions on trade, production and employment. Allan Majuru, chief executive officer of ZimTrade, presents the chairmanship as a chance to connect Zimbabwe’s industrial ambitions with markets across Africa. The account describes expanded trade access, not a transfer of national authority.
A regional market for Zimbabwean producers
The 19th COMESA Business Forum and Multi-Sectoral International Exhibition will run in Harare from October 19 to 21. Regional buyers, investors and businesses are expected to meet Zimbabwean enterprises at an event convened by the COMESA Business Council, ZimTrade, the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, the COMESA Secretariat and the Government. Its programme aims to support commercial partnerships and bring business priorities into regional deliberations.
COMESA’s 21 member states have more than 640 million people and a combined gross domestic product of approximately US$1 trillion. The bloc links Zimbabwe to neighbouring markets, East African economies, North African industrial centres and Indian Ocean destinations. Majuru argues that regional integration can connect firms with more customers and provide the scale needed to support investment that domestic demand alone might not sustain.
The figures point to a large market. They also show room for more trade within the bloc. COMESA imports from the world totalled US$277 billion in 2024, while exports among member states stood at approximately US$14 billion. Total exports to the world reached US$202 billion, with intra-COMESA exports accounting for roughly 7 percent of the bloc’s goods exports. The article presents that share as an opening for stronger regional production and supply relationships.
Zimbabwe’s value-added exports rose from US$437 million in 2024 to US$571 million in 2025. Majuru says a larger regional market could help sustain that growth and encourage investment in processing and manufacturing. Greater production volumes and a wider customer base could support packaging manufacturers, transport operators, laboratories and professional services, while regional orders may bring further business, according to the account.
Industry, jobs and the rules of trade
The article identifies agriculture, cotton, livestock, iron and steel, and mining-related services as potential sources of regional exports. Processed foods, fruit concentrates and oils could add value to agricultural goods. Cotton could supply clothing and textile production, while livestock could support leather processing and finished products. Growing iron and steel capacity could serve construction and manufacturing; Zimbabwean firms could also provide engineering products, equipment maintenance, protective clothing and technical services to mining operations across COMESA.
The proposed commercial gains depend on trade rules and practical access. COMESA’s Free Trade Area offers duty-free access for qualifying goods between participating countries, subject to rules of origin and destination requirements. Its Simplified Trade Regime gives micro, small and medium enterprises and small-scale cross-border traders a route into trade. At participating borders, eligible consignments on agreed common lists can use simplified customs documents and certificates of origin within applicable value limits. Product standards and permit requirements still apply.
What the account does—and doesn’t—establish
Majuru calls for greater awareness of the Simplified Trade Regime, trader training and consistent border implementation. He also identifies logistics costs, border delays and access to trade finance as issues requiring action. Customs coordination, electronic documentation, standards cooperation, reliable energy and transport infrastructure are also on the list.
The account frames COMESA chiefly as a market and trade framework through which Zimbabwe can pursue exports, investment and employment. It doesn’t describe a specific transfer of sovereignty, provide demographic-change figures, or report nationalist or dissident opposition to the programme. Nor does it quantify how projected trade growth would affect particular groups of workers. The stated national interest is to expand Zimbabwean production alongside that of neighbouring countries. The practical test, the article says, is whether local firms can secure customers, meet requirements and deliver reliably.