Sikhulekelani Moyo [email protected]
PREPARATIONS for the forthcoming Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) summit are advanced, with registration oversubscribed ahead of next week’s opening events, the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) has said.
President Mnangagwa will assume the chairmanship of the bloc during the summit.
ZNCC is playing a critical role in the preparations for the mega event as a co-host and key organiser of the 19th COMESA Business Forum and Multi-Sectoral International Exhibition.
The business lobby group is working in direct partnership with the COMESA Business Council,
ZimTrade, the COMESA Secretariat and the Government to spearhead private sector components of the broader COMESA Summit.
COMESA encompasses 21 member states with a combined population estimated between 560 million and over 640 million people, accounting for roughly 8,5 percent of the global population.
Recent reporting from the COMESA Secretariat confirms that the combined gross domestic product of COMESA member states officially crossed the milestone mark from US$90 billion at its inception in 1994 to US$1,23 trillion.
The trading bloc provides Zimbabwe with major economic, strategic and industrial advantages when it takes the COMESA chairmanship for the 2026–2027 term. Critically, hosting the 25th
COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit at the New Parliament in Mount Hampden elevates the country’s diplomatic standing.
This will lower Harare’s perceived country risk profile and showcase Zimbabwe as a secure, strategic gateway for continental trade, helping attract fresh foreign investment.
Responding to questions from Zimpapers Business, ZNCC president Ms Josephine Takundwa said the COMESA Green Industry Connect will be held on October 19, 2026; the COMESA Business
Forum on October 20, while the Multi-Sectoral Exhibition will run from 19 to 21 October at Harare International Conference Centre (HICC).
“The (Multi-Sectoral International) Exhibition is running from 19 to 21 October at the HICC,” she said.
Ms Takundwa said registration for all three categories has been oversubscribed.
“Regarding participation, the registration for all three categories of participants has been
oversubscribed, with registration having closed for the conference on October 14, 2026.
“Accreditation of the participants has started at the HICC today, October 15, 2026, with October 15
reserved only for media personnel,” she said.
ZNCC said the COMESA Business Forum has registered 1 050 against a target of 800, while Green
Industry Connect has 891 against a target of 500.
“At the exhibition, the target number of participants was 150 and current registered exhibitors are standing at 161 and registration is still open. The construction of exhibition stands will be done over the weekend and the floor plan is being finalised,” she said.
“Programme finalisation is at 95 percent in terms of speakers’ confirmation, with remaining speakers expected to confirm by Friday noon. COMESA Secretariat, particularly from the Business
Council side, is expected in the country today.”
The 19th COMESA Business Forum, co-convened by the COMESA Business Council, ZimTrade and the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with COMESA and the Government of Zimbabwe, will precede the summit.
The summit will be held under the theme “One Market, One Future: Advancing Inclusive
Industrialisation, Investment and Regional Integration in COMESA”.
Under the COMESA Free Trade Area (FTA), qualifying Zimbabwean goods can be exported to member states free of customs duties, making local products highly competitive.
As the chair, Zimbabwe is positioning tariff reduction and the elimination of non-tariff barriers at the top of its agenda.
The Government intends to use its leadership to aggressively lobby for lower tariffs across the bloc,
driving down the cost of doing business.
The chairmanship allows Zimbabwe to champion policies that democratise regional trade.
Zimbabwe can use its leadership to help local manufacturers (especially in industrial hubs like
Bulawayo and Harare) push value-added agricultural products and minerals (such as lithium,
chrome and platinum) seamlessly into broader regional markets.
Zimbabwe can significantly scale up its exports of minerals (such as gold, lithium, chrome and
platinum) as well as agro-industrial goods, processed foods and textiles using the COMESA FTA.
Harare is actively participating in implementing the COMESA Electronic Certificate of Origin (eCO)
and digitalised customs networks.
This will cut down on paperwork and speed up border clearances.
The roll-out of the Tripartite Simplified Trade Regime under COMESA makes it substantially
cheaper and easier for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and informal cross-border traders to
conduct regional commerce.
