Online Reporter
Debra Matabvu in OSAKA, Japan
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa arrived here yesterday and will lead proceedings at Zimbabwe’s National Day at the World Expo 2025 tomorrow.
He is also expected to headline a high profile business forum today to attract investments across several sectors including mining and tourism.
President Mnangagwa was welcomed at the Kansai International Airport by Japan’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Shinichi Yamaka, Zimbabwe’s envoy to Japan, Stewart Nyakotyo and the Commissioner General of the Zimbabwe Pavilion at the Expo, Mr Allan Majuru.
He was accompanied by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Martin Rushwaya, and other senior Government officials.
Over the course of the visit, both Zimbabwean and Japanese delegations will explore ways to enhance collaboration across key sectors including trade, energy, agriculture, mining and technology.
In an interview, Ambassador Nyakotyo, said the visit by President Mnangagwa to Japan was significant as it further strengthened relations between the two countries.
“Zimbabwe and Japan have a long history, starting in 1980 at independence. That is when we established our diplomatic relations,” he said. “Japan opened its embassy in Zimbabwe in 1980 and Zimbabwe opened an embassy in Japan in 1982.
“Since then, there has been a lot of cooperation between Zimbabwe and Japan in several fields: trade, agriculture, science and technology, as well as in tourism, among other sectors.”
Ambassador Nyakotyo said the President will lead the Zimbabwe delegation to the country’s National Day at the Expo.
“He will be accompanied by a number of Government ministers as well as senior officials from Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is a member of the Bureau of International Expositions, which is an international convention that brings together all countries in the world,” he said.
“It creates certain rights and obligations for countries. It also coordinates the participation of these members in international expositions.”
Zimbabwe is one of the 158 countries and seven international organisations participating at the Expo.
The six-month Expo opened on April 13 and runs up to October 13.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe will today host a high-profile business forum to attract investors across multiple strategic sectors, including mining, tourism and agriculture in a development expected to position the country as a competitive investment destination.
The Zimbabwe Business Forum, expected to draw scores of Japanese and international executives as well as investors, takes place in Osaka on the sidelines of World Expo 2025 and forms part of the Government’s broader efforts to attract foreign direct investment (FDI).
President Mnangagwa will be speaking at the forum, which also serves as a precursor to Zimbabwe’s National Day celebrations at the Expo tomorrow.
The event offers a unique opportunity for the Government and private sector leaders to engage directly with potential investors, showcase the country’s economic opportunities and secure strategic partnerships through memorandums of understanding and business-to-business engagements.
Zimbabwe Pavilion Commissioner-General Mr Majuru said the forum had generated strong interest, particularly among Japanese companies exploring entry into African markets.
“We are expecting a lot of businesspeople,” he said. “We have also brought in the private sector. The business forum will focus on tourism, agriculture and mining, just to mention a few areas.”
He said tourism, in particular, will take centre stage during the discussions, as the country leverages interest generated at its Expo pavilion where destinations such as Victoria Falls have sparked significant enquiries.
Mr Majuru noted that more than 80 percent of visitors to Zimbabwe’s pavilion have shown interest in tourism-related investments.
“We are going to put tourism at the forefront. This has also paid dividends in terms of enquiries at our pavilion where 80 percent of the enquiries are about tourism. The Victoria Falls has impressed a number of people.”
Agriculture and technology will also be key focus areas, he said.
Mr Majuru pointed to Zimbabwe’s previous successes in exporting sesame and chilli to Japan, trade that started in 2020 but has since slowed, as examples of potential growth areas.
He said Zimbabwe is eager to revive those exports and expand into other agri-based markets with Japanese support.
“It is something that we are also trying to revive on the trade side,” said Mr Majuru. “We will also focus on technology and we are eager to tap into their knowledge in this area and apply it in our agriculture and other areas. Also, in manufacturing precisely because they are very good at equipment manufacturing.”
During the forum, Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) chief executive officer Mr Tafadzwa Chinamo is expected to deliver a presentation positioning Zimbabwe as a gateway to Africa’s future growth.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi will extend a high-level invitation to potential investors in the tourism sector, while a representative of the Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines will present investment opportunities in the mining sector.
President Mnangagwa will deliver his keynote presentation: “Taking Zimbabwe beyond the limits: Building a future-focused society”.
The forum will conclude with direct business-to-business meetings between Zimbabwean companies and Japanese and other international firms aimed at cementing partnerships and identifying areas for immediate collaboration.
Japan remains one of Zimbabwe’s key economic partners, with bilateral trade growing steadily in recent years.
In 2024, Zimbabwe’s imports from Japan, primarily machinery and vehicles, reached their highest level in 25 years, while exports, including tobacco, cotton and minerals such as platinum and ferrochrome, posted significant gains.
Development co-operation between the two countries has also deepened, with Japan recently providing US$17,4 million for the second phase of the North-South Corridor road rehabilitation between Makuti and Chirundu, a vital route for regional trade.
In agriculture, Japan has supported smallholder irrigation schemes under the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment Promotion programme, which facilitated Zimbabwe’s first-ever sesame seed exports to Japan.
Today’s business forum is expected to further strengthen these ties by unlocking new opportunities for investment, innovation and sustainable development between Zimbabwe and Japan.
