‘Africa must start exporting value’

Sikhumbuzo Moyo

Africa must break away from its historic role as a raw material supplier and boldly step into the future as an industrial powerhouse that produces high-value products and is able to sustain itself economically, Vice President Kembo Mohadi has said.

Addressing delegates at the 2025 Connect Africa Symposium held on the sidelines of the 65th Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo yesterday, VP Mohadi urged African nations to champion industrialisation anchored on value addition, innovation, and intra-continental collaboration.

“The time has come for Africa to stop exporting its potential and start exporting value. We must transition from a resource-dependent model to one driven by high-value manufacturing, technology, and robust regional supply chains,” he said.

The symposium, which ran under the theme “Industrialisation and economic integration: Strengthening Africa’s resilience,” was attended by senior government officials, regional policy experts, and industry leaders.

For decades, African economies have been heavily reliant on the export of raw materials such as minerals, tobacco, and agricultural products, often at the expense of domestic value addition and job creation.

Efforts to change this trajectory have gained momentum in recent years, with initiatives like the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which prioritises industrialisation as a key driver of sustainable economic growth.

The establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in 2021 marked a positive step towards dismantling internal trade barriers and creating a single African market of over 1.4 billion people.

VP Mohadi said Africa’s continued reliance on exporting unprocessed raw materials has left it vulnerable to global market shocks and external dependency. He said a transformative shift lies in embracing beneficiation, agro-processing, renewable energy, and digital innovation.