Online Reporter
Nelson Gahadza
Senior Business Reporter
The Government has underscored the critical role of standards in enhancing efficiency, fostering innovation and promoting sustainability while ensuring that products and services are not only of high quality but also safe and reliable.
Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu, in a speech read on his behalf by the chief director in the ministry, Dr Douglas Runyowa, as Zimbabwe celebrated World Standards Day, said standards were more than just guidelines, as they were essential tools for enhancing efficiency and fostering innovation.
“The celebration serves as a pivotal moment not only to reflect on the importance of standardisation but also to recognise how standards fit in with our broader commitment to sustainable development.
“They bridge the gap between industries and consumers, ensuring that products and services are not only of high quality but are also safe and reliable,” he said.
World Standards Day is celebrated on October 14 each year. The day honours standards development organisations and aims to raise awareness among regulators, industry and consumers of the importance of standardisation to the global economy.
Minister Ndlovu said this year’s theme, SDG 17: Partnership for the Goals, was not just a global mantra, but the bedrock on which Africa is building the industrial future of its nations.
“Standards are tools that help translate global ambitions into local action and tangible results. By adhering to standardised practices, which I urge all of us to do, we enhance our manufacturing capabilities, reduce production costs, and ultimately produce goods that meet international quality benchmarks.
“This means easier access to global markets for our products, allowing local businesses to thrive and compete on an international stage,” he said.
The minister added that as the country strives for economic growth, it must prioritise standards.
“Standards play a crucial role in promoting environmentally friendly practices, ensuring that our growth does not come at the expense of our natural resources.
“This partnership for goals is a call to action to our industries, who I encourage to see standards as a strategic tool for market access, innovation and risk management,” said Minister Ndlovu.
He also noted that the industry ministry was not a mere observer of the standardisation work and had moved beyond seeing standards as technical documents.
“My ministry is in the process of implementing ISO 9001:2015, the most sought-after quality management system standard. This shows how serious we are as a ministry about quality issues as we seek to excel in service delivery.
“As a Government, we pledge our continued support to the standards development and capacitation of SAZ and to continue aligning our national standards with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) requirements through harmonisation of standards at regional and continental levels to unlock the vast African market for our businesses,” he said.
He added, “As we embark on collaborative efforts to achieve our national and global development goals, let us remember that working in partnerships is crucial.
“The standards we set together will empower us to tackle shared challenges and unlock new opportunities.”
During the celebrations, the minister launched the local language versions of the free-range poultry standards translated into isiNdebele and chiShona.
He said standards should be accessible to all, and language should not be a barrier to the implementation of standards.
Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) director general Mr Cosmus Mukoyi said standards are the foundation for innovation and efficiency, sustainability and global trust.
“It is important for us, as we export our products out of the country, to build global trust,” he said.
He said SAZ had harmonised a lot of standards, adapted global benchmarks to enable a level playing field across the globe.
“As a country, we have developed 3,255 standards as of September 30, 2025. At the continent level, we harmonised 2 400 standards, and we adopted 388 for Zimbabwe,” he said.
Mr Mukoyi said at the global level, SAZ has developed more than 25,000 standards. He noted that the Association also supports government projects through certification of materials used on the projects.
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“As a country, we have developed 3,255 standards as of September 30, 2025. At the continent level we harmonised 2 400 standards, and we adopted 388 for Zimbabwe,”
