Kudzanai Sharara
The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) has opened the second edition of its Strategic Intelligence Forum (SIF) in partnership with Zimpapers, with a packed programme aimed at equipping business leaders, policymakers and investors to navigate a complex operating environment.
The three-day forum began this morning and runs until 9 October 2026 at the Hyatt Regency, The Meikles in Harare.
It brings together chief executives, board members, entrepreneurs, regulators, development partners and sustainability practitioners.
In an interview this morning, CZI chief executive officer Ms Sekai Kuvarika said the forum will deliver practical intelligence across risk, strategy, governance and sustainability.
“The Strategic Intelligence Forum at CZI is in its second year and we have a packed programme which is really providing strategic intelligence as the name suggests,” Ms Kuvarika said.
Today, the forum is focusing on the business environment and addressing legal and regulatory risk. Ms Kuvarika said this would inform the legal due diligence that investors and companies need to undertake.
Delegates are also examining insurance risk, particularly in the manufacturing sector, and capital flows across sectors.
The Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) is expected to provide insight into how investment flows are reshaping various industries.
Tomorrow, the forum will turn to strategy, with macroeconomic trends and scenarios presented by Fitch, alongside a masterclass on foresight tools.
“The era we are in really requires us to have strategy tools that will assist us to address the VUCA and all these emerging issues around us,” Ms Kuvarika said.
On Friday, sessions will explore Lean Six Sigma with artificial intelligence, as well as energy efficiency. A key presentation will make the economic and business case for investing in energy-efficient electric motors, in line with MAPS regulations.
Ms Kuvarika noted that most electric motors in the manufacturing industry are old, and replacing them could yield significant gains. The forum will also examine how the financial sector could fund such replacements.
Other sessions will address shared intelligence and data infrastructure, exploring how industry can collectively own data assets to reduce costs. The forum will also look at carbon credits, building on work by the Horticulture Development Council.
The programme will further include sessions on entrepreneurship, angel investment and fintech, as well as a sustainability showcase featuring leading companies presenting their business cases.
Building on the inaugural forum, which attracted an average of 100 participants per day and saw the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Forum drawing 132 attendees, SIF 2026 has expanded to include dedicated Strategy Intelligence, Governance Intelligence and Sustainability Intelligence streams.
Ms Kuvarika said the forum was more than a conference.
“It is a platform for ideas, partnerships, innovation and leadership,” she said. “We look forward to seeing you there.”
