Online Reporter
Judith Phiri [email protected]
THE Zimbabwean Business Council-United Arab Emirates (ZIBCO-UAE) has partnered with ZB Financial Holdings for another edition of the Exporters’ Indaba, set to take place this month in the country’s two major commercial hubs, Harare and Bulawayo.
Targeting aspiring and established exporters, emerging producers, industry leaders and trade stakeholders, the indaba is designed to provide businesses with practical knowledge and linkages needed to penetrate export markets, particularly the UAE and the wider Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
ZIBCO-UAE Chairman, Mr Simba Makahamadze said the UAE now takes roughly half of Zimbabwe’s export earnings, but that was a commodity statistic, led by mining.
“The Indaba exists to widen that corridor. It is the Zimbabwean Business Council’s flagship platform in Zimbabwe for businesses exporting into and through the UAE. It connects exporters and export-ready firms with the institutions, logistics partners and networks they need to trade internationally.
“This year’s editions run in Harare on 28 September and Bulawayo on 30 September. They come at a key moment for two reasons. Etihad Airways has announced direct Abu Dhabi–Harare flights from March 2027 and Zimbabwe and the UAE are close to finishing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement,” he said.
“Trade agreements and new routes do not create trade on their own; prepared businesses do. The ZIBCO-UAE Exporters’ Indaba is about preparing them. We will judge the results by pipeline, not attendance.”
He said their previous indaba produced structured business-to-business (B2B) meetings and those discussions were now in commercial follow-up.
Mr Makahamadze said this time the outcomes they want are a qualified list of export-ready businesses, structured meetings that turn into supply, distribution or logistics arrangements and exporters who understand UAE standards, certification and compliance before the CEPA and the direct route arrive.
He added: “Today’s corridor is dominated by minerals and that is exactly why the opportunity lies beyond them. The next phase should be measured by value addition, processed and packaged agricultural products rather than bulk commodities, agricultural produce, beneficiated minerals rather than raw ore, and a growing share of services, technology and tourism.”
Mr Makahamadze said the CEPA under negotiation covers agriculture, mining, energy and infrastructure, which shows where both governments see potential.
He said a direct air link to Abu Dhabi changes the economics for high-value and time-sensitive goods, while the UAE was also a re-export hub, so a Zimbabwean product that succeeds there can reach the wider Gulf, the Middle East and Asia.
“We are also honest with businesses. Part of our pre-entry briefing is telling a company whether the UAE market actually wants its product. Sometimes the answer is “not yet”.
“The ZIBCO-UAE Exporters’ Indaba addresses these directly through sessions on export readiness, documentation and compliance, air cargo and logistics, trade facilitation and UAE market entry,” he said.
“It then carries into our “soft landing” support, honest pre-entry briefings, structuring guidance, introductions to vetted logistics, distribution and professional-services members, and a platform to present to buyers. We help from the first meeting through to the signed deal.”
