Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe Zimpapers Business Hub
BULAWAYO should use Zimbabwe’s position as chair of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), which it assumes in October, as a springboard for industrial revival given its comparative advantages.
Zimbabwe’s second-largest city boasts an established manufacturing base, a skilled workforce and strategic location, which position it to capture a larger share of the regional market.
This comes as the country prepares to assume the 2026-2027 COMESA rotational chairmanship for the 2026-2027 term in October, presenting Bulawayo with a window to rebuild its industrial base.
Experts believe that this leadership role boosts national diplomatic clout and accelerates domestic economic growth under Vision 2030, by which Zimbabwe is targeting to have achieved upper-middle-income status.
Bulawayo has a good opportunity to position itself well for increased access to a regional market of more than 640 million people and a combined Gross Domestic Product of nearly US$1 trillion.
COMESA links 21 member states and holds billions in untapped intra-regional trade potential, anchored by vast agricultural, mineral and manufacturing expansion goals through deeper market integration and tariff elimination.
Key COMESA trade terms centre around preferential market access, simplified border procedures and regional integration frameworks designed to eliminate barriers among member states.
Still grappling with deindustrialisation, ageing machinery, high production costs, electricity challenges and limited access to affordable finance, Zimbabwe’s COMESA chairmanship can provide fresh impetus for investment, market expansion and industrial retooling.
Regional trade expert Mr Alois Chibvuri said Bulawayo had the industrial capabilities required to become a regional manufacturing hub if its infrastructure and utility constraints were addressed.
“Bulawayo has the industrial base, the skills and the infrastructure to become a major manufacturing centre for the region, but this will depend on investment in infrastructure and reliable utilities,” said Mr Chibvuri.
He said the city’s concentration of manufacturing companies, engineering firms and supporting industries provided a platform to respond to growing regional demand for value-added products.
“This could create opportunities for Bulawayo and surrounding manufacturers producing steel products, engineering equipment, processed foods, textiles, chemicals and mining supplies,” he said.
Economist Ms Alice Chikonzo said Bulawayo’s existing industrial ecosystem was an advantage that could help the city attract investment and regain its position as an industrial powerhouse.
“Bulawayo has an existing industrial ecosystem and that is an advantage. What is required is to recapitalise industry, improve infrastructure and make it easier for companies to export competitively into the region,” she said.
Industrialist Mrs Monica Moyo said the development of the Bulawayo Special Economic Zone (SEZ) can provide an important economic base from which the city could position itself for increased regional trade and investment.
Bulawayo has for close to four decades transitioned from Zimbabwe’s thriving manufacturing capital into a quiet industrial zone due to economic decline, factory closures and relocations.
The Government’s ongoing initiatives, new agro-processing investments and plans for SEZs have sparked hope that the city can rebuild its industrial base.
Bulawayo’s industrial areas (Belmont, Donnington and Kelvin) were formally declared and approved as SEZs effective August 24, 2018. An upgraded framework for an Integrated Provincial
Special Economic Zone for Bulawayo received Cabinet approval on May 26, 2026.
She said businesses should begin aligning their operations and investment plans with opportunities emerging from the SEZ rather than waiting until the infrastructure was fully developed.
“Bulawayo’s business sector needs to be proactive and position itself now. The COMESA chairmanship will create visibility for Zimbabwe, but businesses must be ready with products, partnerships and market strategies to take advantage of that exposure,” said Mrs Moyo.
Mrs Moyo said the SEZ, combined with Bulawayo’s existing industrial base and regional connectivity, could create a stronger platform for attracting investors targeting the COMESA market.
“The Bulawayo Special Economic Zone is another economic base that the city can capitalise on. It can complement the existing industrial base by attracting new investment, encouraging value addition and creating capacity for companies to produce competitively for regional markets,” she said.
She said the SEZ should be viewed as part of a broader strategy to reposition Bulawayo as a manufacturing and distribution centre.
“Businesses should be looking beyond the summit itself and asking what products they can take into the COMESA market, which countries offer the greatest opportunities and what partnerships they need to establish. This is an opportunity to expand beyond the domestic market and businesses in Bulawayo should make use of it.”
Bulawayo’s location along major regional transport routes linking Zimbabwe with Botswana, South Africa and Zambia further strengthens its prospects of becoming a manufacturing and distribution gateway.
Its connectivity to the Beitbridge and Plumtree corridors provides access to major regional markets, while improved links towards Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo could open further opportunities for locally manufactured products.
The development and upgrading of the Bulawayo-Beitbridge corridor could also strengthen the city’s links to the port of Durban, potentially improving the movement of raw materials and finished products.
However, experts said the geographical advantage would only translate into export growth if supported by reliable electricity, efficient rail and road infrastructure, streamlined border processes and competitive logistics costs.
Ms Chikonzo said local companies should build on Bulawayo’s industrial heritage instead of waiting for new opportunities to emerge.
“Bulawayo already has an industrial foundation, and the private sector should build on that advantage rather than waiting for someone else to create the opportunities. Companies need to engage with Government, trade promotion agencies and regional buyers and position themselves for increased demand,” she said.
Zimbabwe will host the 25th COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit at the new Parliament Building in Mt Hampden on October 22 under the theme: “One Market, One Future: Advancing Inclusive Industrialisation, Investment and Regional Integration in COMESA.”
The chairmanship comes as COMESA seeks to boost intra-regional trade, which remains relatively low despite the existence of a free trade area and various trade facilitation instruments.
Economic analyst Mr Kangausaura Mahawani said Zimbabwe should treat the chairmanship as an economic opportunity rather than simply a diplomatic milestone.
“COMESA has a market of over 640 million people with a combined GDP of nearly US$1 trillion, but intra-COMESA exports are only about US$14 billion.
“That means there is still a lot of untapped potential for regional trade,” said Mr Mahawani.
He said Zimbabwe already had a base from which to expand exports.
“Zimbabwe already has a platform to build on. According to statistics from ZimStat, our exports to COMESA range from iron and steel products, tobacco products, coke and coal, agricultural machinery, paper products and other manufactured commodities.
“We have also witnessed the impact of focused market growth with Zimbabwe’s exports to DRC increasing from an estimated US$26,6 million in 2019 to US$132,2 million in 2023, while Zimbabwean companies won confirmed orders of about US$5,77 million at DRC Mining Week in 2025.”
Mr Mahawani urged companies to understand COMESA trading rules, improve competitiveness and build distribution networks in target markets.
“The private sector should consequently use the chairmanship to actively seek markets throughout the 21-member bloc, especially for value-added products.
“Companies need to grasp the laws of origin and trade preferences of COMESA, enhance product quality and packaging, increase manufacturing capacity and develop distributors and strategic alliances in individual markets,” he noted.
He said financial institutions and trade promotion agencies also had a role to play in supporting exporters.
“Institutions such as ZimTrade need to ramp up market information and business-to-business linkages. Initiatives like the Kasumbalesa warehouse in Zambia, which acts as a gateway to the DRC and the wider COMESA market, are crucial because firms need physical distribution infrastructure on the ground.”
For Bulawayo, the COMESA chairmanship therefore presents more than diplomatic visibility. The city’s existing industrial base, the planned SEZ and strategic transport links provide several economic platforms that can be leveraged to expand production, attract investment and penetrate regional markets.
Ultimately, Mr Mahawani said, the success of Zimbabwe’s chairmanship would be measured by commercial outcomes rather than the number of meetings held.
“At the end of the day, the economic success of Zimbabwe’s COMESA chairmanship should not be assessed by the meetings and agreements made, but whether Zimbabwean enterprises get new clients, new markets and raise the country’s share of intra-COMESA trade.
“We have a chance to turn regional leadership into regional market share,” said Mr Mahawani.
