Online Reporter
Remarks by HE Zhou Ding, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, at 2026 Zimbabwe Business Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (Harare, 30 April 2026)
n Mrs Vimbai Nyemba, Permanent Secretary for Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs;
n Dr Thomas Utete Wushe, Permanent Secretary for Industry and Commerce;
n Mr Jacob Mafume, Mayor of Harare;
n Mr David Ndambakuwa, CEO of The Champions Africa;
n Mr Xu Kemin, President of the Chamber of Chinese Enterprises in Zimbabwe (CCEZ).
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends:
Good evening. Manheru akanaka. Litshone njani.
It is a great privilege and immense honour to stand before you this evening as the Guest of Honour at the 2026 Zimbabwe Business Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Awards Presentation. I am truly delighted to be part of this memorable and momentous occasion.
I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the organisers for the kind invitation and for bringing together such an exceptional gathering of business leaders, innovators, and visionaries — all of whom continue to shape Zimbabwe’s economic landscape. I extend my warmest congratulations to the eleven outstanding business leaders, who are taking their well-deserved place in the 2026 Zimbabwe Business Hall of Fame.
The Business Hall of Fame is far more than a symbol of recognition. This platform celebrates exceptional entrepreneurship and champions diligence, and fosters innovation. By inspiring a new generation of business pioneers, it lends lasting momentum to Zimbabwe’s economic transformation, industrialisation, and the livelihood improvement.
To the eleven honourees — eight Hall of Famers and three Young Champions: with vision, perseverance, and tireless dedication, you have grown your businesses, created jobs, strengthened local industries, and delivered tangible benefits to your communities. Your work embodies a fundamental truth: the highest value of a business lies in aligning with national development and serving the well-being of the people. This is precisely the vision and mission that underpin China-Zimbabwe economic cooperation.
This vision is reflected in the vibrant and ever-deepening business links between our two nations. Year after year, countless Zimbabwean entrepreneurs and traders make their way to China, where they source quality products, explore new technologies, and establish long-term partnerships with Chinese suppliers. Meanwhile, Zimbabwean goods such as tobacco, minerals, and agricultural and horticultural products are finding their way into the vast Chinese market. These frequent two-way exchanges —of people, products, and ideas — have created a dynamic and mutually beneficial ecosystem. I am confident that many of you here tonight have already built ties with the Chinese market and are collaborating with Chinese partners across various fields.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, the friendship between China and Zimbabwe was forged during Zimbabwe’s struggle for national liberation, when China provided significant military training, material assistance, and diplomatic support to the Zimbabwean people. Today, this bond has grown even stronger as we work together to pursue common prosperity.
In recent years, our all-weather friendship and all-round co-operation have greatly advanced Zimbabwe’s national development. Numerous landmark China-aided projects — from the Kariba South and Hwange Power Stations to the Robert Mugabe and Victoria Falls Airports, and from the High Performance Computing Centre to the NetOne National Mobile Broadband Project — have injected strong momentum into Zimbabwe’s economic progress. They also stand as vivid testimony to China’s commitment to our steadfast and trusted friend, Zimbabwe, and to our shared future.
For many years, China has been Zimbabwe’s largest source of foreign investment, with total investment by Chinese enterprises reaching approximately 10 billion US dollars. In 2025, our bilateral trade hit a record high of 4,4 billion US dollars. Major Chinese-invested projects in lithium processing, steel, cement, and solar energy are delivering tangible benefits: they create jobs, increase fiscal revenues, and actively promote technology transfer and skills training. The China-Zimbabwe trade and investment relationship currently sustains one million jobs in Zimbabwe and contributes hundreds of millions of US dollars in tax revenue each year.
Beyond large-scale investments, high-quality yet affordable Chinese agricultural machinery, fertilisers, building materials, home appliances, and consumer goods are widely available across Zimbabwe, benefitting millions of households. Furthermore, advanced Chinese agricultural technologies — including juncao grass cultivation and high-yield maize cultivation — have greatly boosted local grain production, safeguarding food security for countless families.
Tonight’s ceremony, in many ways, is a vivid testament to the strong, multifaceted, and high-quality co-operation between China and Zimbabwe — co-operation that empowers entrepreneurs and propels development. And as we look to the future, our co-operation will only grow stronger, even amid the uncertainties of the evolving global landscape.
Ladies and gentlemen, as the world’s second largest economy and the largest developing country, China continues to inject stability and positive energy into the global economy through its own steady development and consistent foreign policies.
On the security front, China firmly upholds regional and global stability. We actively promote the political settlement of hotspot issues, including the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East, protect global energy supplies and the security of industrial and supply chains, and foster a stable environment for global business development — an environment that is critical for entrepreneurs to thrive.
On the economic front, China’s 15th Five-Year Plan has made a promising start. In the first quarter of 2026, China’s GDP grew by 5,0 percent year-on-year. As China accelerates the development of new quality productive forces — with the digital economy, green energy, and advanced manufacturing booming — the advantages of its super-large market continue to unfold. This presents unprecedented opportunities for our partners around the world, including Zimbabwe.
Tonight, I am delighted to announce exciting news: Starting from the 1st of May 2026, China will implement zero-tariff treatment for all 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China. This is the first time a major global economy has ever granted unilateral, full-coverage zero-tariff market access to the African continent. For Zimbabwe, this means more Zimbabwean products can enter China’s vast market tariff-free. It also means tremendous opportunities for entrepreneurs like you.
I encourage all business leaders and policymakers here tonight to seize this historic moment — to support Zimbabwean farmers, producers, and exporters in tapping into the Chinese market, and most importantly, to seize your own opportunities as entrepreneurs to grow your businesses and contribute to Zimbabwe’s economy and its people.
This new tariff policy is just one example of our commitment to win-win co-operation. Beyond that, China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2) are highly compatible in both timeline and strategic direction — an alignment that unlocks even greater room for collaboration. China stands ready to strengthen strategic co-ordination with Zimbabwe, focusing on priority areas including agriculture, manufacturing, the digital economy, and green development.
We welcome the Zimbabwean Government’s vision of further prioritising its business environment — one that is more stable, transparent, predictable, and competitive; that protects the nation’s long-term interests and the legitimate rights of all enterprises; and that empowers all businesses to flourish.
This year, China and Zimbabwe will also take the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges as an opportunity to deepen business, youth, and cultural exchanges, as well as people-to-people connections and bonds — forging even stronger ties between our two nations and two peoples, and laying a solid foundation for our long-term prosperity.
Ladies and gentlemen, tonight, as we celebrate excellence, let us also reaffirm our shared responsibility to promote inclusive growth and strong international partnerships. True leadership requires adaptability, collaboration, and a forward-looking vision. The honorees we celebrate this evening serve as shining examples of what can be achieved through dedication, perseverance, discipline and clarity of vision.
To the young entrepreneurs and emerging business leaders here tonight: your journey ahead may be challenging, but with vision and determination, you can achieve more than you anticipate — and contribute even more to Zimbabwe’s prosperity and global economic progress.
Once again, congratulations to all the inductees and award recipients. Thank you, and I wish you all a memorable and successful evening.
Thank you. Tatenda. Siyabonga.
