Online Reporter
Blessings Chidakwa-Senior Reporter
THE First Lady, Auxillia Mnangagwa, yesterday launched the SheTrades Zimbabwe Hub, a major platform set to unlock global market access for women-led businesses, empowering entrepreneurs to scale up, compete internationally, and contribute to job creation and economic growth.
The initiative, which links local entrepreneurs to international buyers, financing, and technical support, is expected to help women transition from small-scale operations to competitive export enterprises, driving inclusive growth and national development.
Zimbabwe is now the eighth SheTrades hub in Africa and the 22nd globally under the acclaimed International Trade Centre platform, as it continues to take deliberate steps to integrate women-led businesses into regional and international trade.
The launch, a landmark move aimed at positioning women as key players in global commerce, further cements the country’s commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs and ensuring they play a leading role in economic transformation.
Delegates, including the guest of honour, began proceedings with a tour of colourful displays showcasing products from thriving women entrepreneurs, including skincare products, clothing, handbags, value-added snacks, and various food items.
Some of the women recently participated in a trade mission in the United Kingdom, where they built market linkages.
Speaking during the launch at a hotel in Harare, Dr Mnangagwa, who was represented by Environment, Climate and Wildlife Minister Evelyn Ndlovu, said the hub is more than just a platform; it is a gateway to markets, knowledge, networks, and opportunities for women across the country.
The First Lady said the launch signals the nation’s firm commitment to ensuring that women are not only participants in trade but leaders and drivers of economic transformation.
“Today’s launch is more than the unveiling of a physical or institutional hub. It is the opening of many doors to markets, doors to knowledge, doors to networks, and doors to opportunity.
“Above all, it is the opening of pathways for Zimbabwean women to claim their rightful space in regional and global value chains, truly leaving no one and no place behind,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa said the hub is a beacon of opportunity and a centre of excellence through which Zimbabwean women can confidently access regional and global markets.
“The SheTrades Zimbabwe Hub will serve as a national coordination platform for women-led enterprises engaged in export-oriented value chains,” she said.
Environment, Climate and Wildlife Minister Evelyn Ndlovu, International Trade Centre Deputy Executive Director Dorothy Tembo, British Ambassador to Zimbabwe Pete Vowles and other senior Government officials follow proceedings during the SheTrades Zimbabwe Hub launch in Harare yesterday.
“It will provide structured pathways for identifying high-potential women exporters, access to global buyer networks, targeted capacity building, and long-term technical support, including certification and compliance. This integrated approach is exactly what is required to move women-owned businesses from survival to scale.”
The First Lady said she remains committed to championing initiatives that uplift women, strengthen families, and build resilient communities, adding that she is proud to be associated with the SheTrades Initiative and its vision.
“To the women entrepreneurs, I say: this platform is for you. Embrace it, use it, own it. Invest in quality, invest in standards, invest in branding, so that you can compete confidently on the global stage,” she said.
“Zimbabwean products are world-class, and Zimbabwean women are more than capable of meeting international buyer expectations. When you empower a woman, you empower a nation. When women thrive, enterprises grow. When enterprises grow, jobs are created. When jobs are created, nations prosper.”
Dr Mnangagwa said it was encouraging that across the country, women are producing exceptional goods and services, from agriculture and agro-processing to textiles, cosmetics, essential oils, jewellery, crafts, and tourism gastronomy.
“Zimbabwean women are building enterprises that reflect creativity, resilience, and innovation, turning into action His Excellency the President’s mantra, ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo.’
“What has often been limited is structured access to international markets, reliable buyer linkages, certification support, and sustained technical assistance. The SheTrades Zimbabwe Hub will, no doubt, directly respond to these needs,” she said.
The First Lady said she was also encouraged by the tangible results already emerging from the SheTrades Initiative in Zimbabwe.
“Women-led enterprises have accessed markets in the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Southern and Western Africa. They have participated in international trade fairs, secured distributors, improved packaging and branding, and begun certification journeys that position them for long-term competitiveness.
“This is not abstract information; it is about real stories of women whose livelihoods are changing, whose businesses are growing, and whose families and communities are benefiting both economically and socially,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa said the launch aligns closely with the Government’s development vision of leaving no one and no place behind, as articulated in Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategies 1 and 2.
International Trade Centre Deputy Executive Director Dorothy Tembo, who commended the Government for leading empowerment programmes, said it was a significant moment for Zimbabwe as it becomes the 22nd hub in a global network of business support organisations.
She said these organisations are transforming trade by empowering women, men, and small and medium enterprises across countries and regions.
Delegates, predominantly women, listen attentively during the SheTrades Zimbabwe Hub launch in Harare yesterday.
“In many of the countries we have worked with, it is not always a given that you receive the level of support that the Government of Zimbabwe has committed to, and we truly appreciate this.
“To us, it illustrates the Government’s strong track record of supporting Zimbabwean SMEs, demonstrated in many ways and on numerous occasions,” she said.
ZimTrade chief executive officer Mr Allan Majuru said their partnership with the International Trade Centre is longstanding, resilient, and rooted in shared values.
“Women do not need charity. Women need systems that work, platforms that connect, and partnerships that endure.
“That is why the Memorandum of Understanding signed today is not just a ceremonial document. It is a promise that ZimTrade and ITC will continue walking together,” he said.
Mr Majuru said the partnership will help co-create a pipeline of export-ready women.
“A promise that we will build a population of economically empowered women who export, who employ, and who expand Zimbabwe’s footprint across global value chains,” he said.
He added that the SheTrades Zimbabwe Hub will become a home for ambition, skills, market intelligence, certification support, and buyer linkages, where no woman entrepreneur walks the export journey alone.
“To our women entrepreneurs, I say this: you are no longer knocking on doors; you are being handed keys, use them boldly. To our partners, thank you for believing in Zimbabwe.
“To our First Lady, Dr Mnangagwa, we appreciate your leadership and the work you are doing to uplift women across the country,” he said.
Mr Majuru said many female entrepreneurs are emerging from the heritage-based gastronomy sector championed by the First Lady beyond Zimbabwe’s borders.
“Your focus on heritage-based products has opened opportunities for rural women, enabling them to commercialise and earn from their cultural heritage,” he said.
United Kingdom Ambassador to Zimbabwe Pete Vowles said women are central to Zimbabwe’s economic growth, agricultural development, and export competitiveness, noting that “musha mukadzi.”
“Women in business create jobs, improve livelihoods, and ensure that economic growth is inclusive. Inclusive and sustainable growth is good for Zimbabwe and also for the United Kingdom.
“It creates new markets and ensures that we can access the very best produce from around the world. The First Lady has been leading the charge with unwavering commitment to advancing women’s skills, opportunities, and entrepreneurship,” he said.
Ambassador Vowles urged Zimbabwean women to utilise the resources and networks provided by the SheTrades Zimbabwe Hub to expand their businesses, diversify offerings, and increase exports.
Local businesswomen showcase their products at the launch of SheTrades Zimbabwe Hub in Harare.
He said that since 2024, the United Kingdom and ZimTrade have been working together to support women-led businesses, particularly in the essential oils and beauty sectors, providing training, market standards knowledge, and logistics support.
“We saw this firsthand last week when 12 women-led businesses travelled to the United Kingdom to showcase their products, secure new orders, and build their brands,” he said.
Backed by the International Trade Centre, in partnership with the Government of the United Kingdom and ZimTrade, the hub provides market access, buyer linkages, and capacity building for women entrepreneurs.
The Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, represented by Deputy Minister Kiven Mutimbanyoka, said the initiative complements ongoing Government interventions.
He said supporting women-owned enterprises to become export-ready contributes directly to broadening Zimbabwe’s export base while promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
“The participation of women in international trade contributes directly to foreign currency generation, job creation, and economic resilience, turning
“His Excellency the President’s mantra into action.
“It also strengthens household incomes and community livelihoods, reinforcing national development priorities under Vision 2030,” he said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, represented by Deputy Minister Sheillah Chikomo, said the programme positions Zimbabwe as a competitive hub for commerce and innovation.
“Our economic engagements, including trade facilitation for women, are conducted with the resolve to protect our national integrity and self-determination. The SheTrades Zimbabwe Hub directly supports our goal of facilitating production for international markets.
“Through economic diplomacy, we are prioritising trade expansion and securing technology exchanges to drive industrialisation.
The Ministry is also implementing practical market access solutions, such as in-market warehouses, to reduce transaction costs and ensure a permanent footprint for Zimbabwean goods in global markets,” she said.
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