Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba-Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe has taken significant steps to bolster regional trade and integration, signing two critical agreements yesterday for the upgrading of the Beira Development Corridor and the North-South Corridor.
These corridors are vital arteries for the country’s trade with its neighbours and for facilitating regional commerce.
The African Union projects that by 2040, these routes will rank among the busiest transport corridors on the continent.
The agreements come as Zimbabwe intensifies efforts to promote regional economic integration through SADC and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Recognising the importance of seamless trade with neighbouring countries, the Government has aligned its infrastructure development goals with these regional frameworks.
This week, Zimbabwe hosted the SADC Ministerial meeting on transport, infrastructure, ICT, and meteorology.
The meeting, which concluded yesterday, reviewed progress on key programmes supporting regional integration. Delegates included Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona, SADC Deputy Executive Secretary Ms Angèle Makombo N’tumba, Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera, and senior officials from Zimbabwe and the region.
Minister Mhona signed the agreements on behalf of the Government, underscoring Zimbabwe’s commitment to upgrading these critical corridors.
Speaking after the signing, he emphasised that the corridors represent the essence of regional transport development and integration.
He highlighted the importance of linking Zimbabwe to regional ports via these corridors, which connect to major trade hubs like Durban in South Africa and Beira in Mozambique, extending as far as the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Minister Mhona noted that these upgrades are pivotal to harmonising systems, easing the movement of goods and people, and reducing the cost of doing business. He described the agreements as a boost for regional unity and practical step towards achieving the objectives of the African free trade area.
He also praised President Mnangagwa for championing regional integration, attributing the progress to his leadership and vision.
Ms Makombo N’tumba highlighted how the corridors are integral to Africa’s industrialisation by expanding markets, enabling economies of scale, and fostering infrastructure development.
She pointed out Zimbabwe’s strategic position within regional networks of energy grids, ICT systems, roads, railways, and pipelines, some of which intersect the country at key points.
Minister Mavetera expanded on the significance of the North-South Corridor, which has been designated a pilot smart corridor under the African Union’s Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa.
She described the corridor as more than a physical route, envisioning it as a digital artery powered by real-time data and borderless digital platforms.
This innovation, she noted, would transform trade and connectivity across the region.
The recent SADC Ministerial Round Table Dialogue, she added, demonstrated the SADC Secretariat’s commitment to fostering collaboration between policymakers and industry players. The dialogue explored investment opportunities in infrastructure projects, shared experiences on key initiatives, and examined cross-border digital connectivity and mobile roaming.
