Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe
Zimpapers Business Hub
SMALL and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been urged to move beyond viewing the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) as simply an export destination and position themselves as suppliers to regional manufacturers, major projects and procurement networks, industry players have said.
The call comes as Zimbabwe prepares to host the 25th COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit in Mt Hampden next month and assume the bloc’s chairmanship for the 2026-2027 period, providing local businesses with an opportunity to deepen their participation in regional supply chains.
COMESA has a market size of 560 million to 600 million people, a geographic area of 11,8 million square kilometres and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of approximately US$1,2 trillion.
Apart from focusing on selling finished products to consumers in neighbouring markets, SMEs can tap into demand for raw materials, packaging, components, transport, maintenance and professional services required by manufacturers, contractors and other large businesses operating across the region.
Industry players said this would give smaller businesses an avenue to access larger orders while encouraging investment in productive capacity, standards and technology.
Furniture manufacturing SME operator Mr Gibson Dube said local businesses needed to become more proactive in pursuing opportunities created by regional integration instead of relying mainly on the domestic market.
“SMEs should take advantage of these opportunities and position themselves to supply the regional market. We cannot continue looking at our businesses as serving only the local market when there is a much bigger market within COMESA,” he said.
Mr Dube said participation in regional supply chains could encourage SMEs to improve production standards and invest in capacity required to meet larger orders.
He said stronger integration into regional commerce could have a wider impact on Zimbabwe’s productive sector by stimulating investment and strengthening the country’s manufacturing and export base.
“If effectively harnessed, COMESA integration could give Zimbabwean SMEs access to larger orders, encourage investment in productive capacity and strengthen the country’s manufacturing and export base,” added Mr Dube.
“Regional opportunities will have to be actively pursued, with SMEs positioning themselves to meet the standards, volumes and procurement requirements of larger buyers.”
Fellow SME operator Mrs Sisa Moyo urged more businesses to participate in COMESA projects and initiatives, saying regional integration would only deliver broader benefits if companies actively engaged with available opportunities.
“We encourage other players to take part in COMESA projects and initiatives. There are opportunities for SMEs, but businesses have to be proactive and understand what is required to participate in these regional procurement systems,” she said.
Mrs Moyo said participation would also enable local companies to understand buyer requirements and build relationships with potential customers and industrial partners.
Complementing this perspective, trade analyst Mr Ronald Nyathi advised enterprises to abandon passive market entry models in favour of structured, data-driven opportunity mapping.
He outlined a rigorous protocol requiring businesses to identify competitive advantages, monitor regional procurement pipelines, engage trade promotion bodies, and master the precise technical standards demanded by foreign procurers.
“SMEs need to start by identifying what they can produce competitively and then research where there are gaps in the regional market.
“They should follow procurement opportunities, engage potential buyers and understand the specifications, volumes, certification and delivery requirements before bidding for contracts,” said Mr Nyathi.
Such discipline, he noted, prevents capital erosion caused by speculative bids into markets where firms lack the requisite operational scale.
This creates the possibility of entering regional commerce indirectly by supplying a larger manufacturer or contractor, rather than having to establish their own physical operations in another COMESA member state, he noted.
Zimbabwe’s upcoming stewardship of the COMESA chairmanship is projected to amplify visibility for local commerce, serving as a catalyst for deeper economic integration.
A centrepiece of this diplomatic season is the 19th COMESA Business Forum, scheduled for October 19 to 21 at the Harare International Conference Centre.
The high-profile summit will assemble regional executives, institutional investors, policymakers and sector specialists under the overarching theme, “One Market, One Future: Advancing Inclusive Industrialisation, Investment and Regional Integration in COMESA.”
The comprehensive programme is anchored on three foundational pillars designed to accelerate intra-regional commerce.
