Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
Regional business leaders, investors and policymakers are set to converge in Harare next month for the 19th COMESA Business Forum, with the meeting expected to focus on boosting intra-regional trade, investment, industrialisation and digital transformation.
The forum will be held from October 19 to 21 on the margins of the 25th COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit and will be co-convened by the COMESA Business Council, ZimTrade and the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with COMESA and the Government of Zimbabwe.
The forum will be held under the theme: “One Market, One Future: Advancing Inclusive Industrialisation, Investment and Regional Integration in COMESA.”
The organisers said the forum was designed as an “action-oriented response” to the changing global trade and economic environment, with discussions expected to address supply-chain disruptions, transport and logistics challenges, access to affordable finance, artificial intelligence and the need for resilient regional markets.
The forum, which will be held in Harare, will seek to accelerate inclusive industrialisation through stronger regional value chains, expand intra-COMESA trade and investment, deepen COMESA-AfCFTA convergence and enable businesses to harness digital technologies, AI and innovation.
COMESA comprises 21 member states with a market of more than 640 million people and a combined gross domestic product of approximately US$1 trillion.
Merchandise trade in the region exceeds US$383 billion.
However, according to the concept note, investment remains concentrated in a few economies while intra-COMESA investment remains limited, creating a need for stronger regional investment partnerships, SME financing and private-sector collaboration.
The forum will feature five sessions covering seamless and resilient trade systems, regional value chains, financing and investment, digital transformation and AI, as well as partnerships with COMESA institutions.
A key outcome will be a Private Sector Communiqué containing recommendations to be presented to the 25th COMESA Summit, with organisers seeking to ensure that business priorities feed directly into regional policy-making.
Running alongside the forum will be a multi-sectoral international exhibition from October 19 to 21, featuring country and COMESA institutional pavilions, innovation showcases and spaces for business deal-making.
Priority sectors will include manufacturing, agriculture and agro-processing, digital economy and innovation, financial services and fintech, mining, energy, textiles, leather, tourism and hospitality.
The event is expected to bring together ministers, senior government officials, business leaders, investors, banks, development finance institutions, MSMEs, women and youth entrepreneurs, academia and international organisations.
A Green Industry Connect will also be held on October 19, focusing on leather and textiles, plastics and packaging, and electronics and e-waste, with the objective of developing sustainable and circular value chains in the region.
