Online Reporter
Business Reporter
Zimbabwe’s premier tourism destination, Victoria Falls, is set to become the epicentre of a significant shift in global trade relations as it hosts the Africa–Nordic Business Roundtable from October 2-3, 2025.
Held alongside the 22nd Africa–Nordic Foreign Ministers Meeting, this high-level forum signals a move away from traditional aid towards mutually beneficial economic partnerships, aiming to forge stronger commercial links between African firms and the highly innovative Nordic region.
The programme will showcase young innovators from both regions who are successfully scaling impactful businesses, offering inspiration and practical lessons for driving sustainable growth. Participants are expected to gain valuable insights into strategies for de-risking business environments and fostering cross-border partnerships.
More importantly, businesses are expected to engage in a new paradigm of relations between Africa and the Nordic region, The Nordic region is a geographical and cultural area in Northern Europe which comprises five sovereign states and three autonomous territories.
The high-level meeting is organised by a consortium of Zimbabwe’s premier trade and investment institutions, chaired by the national trade development and promotion agency, ZimTrade. Other organising institutions include the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA), the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), the CEO Africa Roundtable, the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC), and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA).
According to ZimTrade, local companies are strongly encouraged to register and participate in this landmark event, as it presents an unprecedented opportunity to showcase Zimbabwe’s strengths, build international linkages, and position local businesses at the heart of this evolving Africa–Nordic collaboration.
Zimbabwe has become a key focus of this new strategy, with areas of interest that include: horticulture, aquaculture, agricultural inputs and machinery, agricultural services, biomass energy and solar, manufacturing, and processed foods. Additionally, Zimbabwe’s unique location offers a gateway to other countries within Africa’s southern region, which investors are interested in exploring.
“The Business Roundtable is a must-attend event for companies looking to target the Nordic countries, as it will provide a high-level platform for African and Nordic executives to engage directly, share success stories, and develop solutions for unlocking growth through industrialisation, digital transformation, and sustainable business models,” ZimTrade said in a statement.
Traditionally focused on development aid, Nordic foreign policy has shifted significantly in recent years to prioritise mutually beneficial economic partnerships and trade. Finland, for example, has set an explicit goal in its Finland-Africa strategy of 2021 to double its trade with African countries by 2030. Similarly, Denmark is opening new embassies in key African nations to facilitate new trade and investment opportunities, with a focus on areas like green technology and sustainable infrastructure.
