Online Reporter
Lincoln Towindo in BULAWAYO
ZIMBABWE and Botswana must deepen economic integration and move beyond modest trade volumes to build stronger value chains, boost investment and unlock shared prosperity, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira has said.
Speaking at the Zimbabwe-Botswana Business Forum held on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) last Thursday, Prof Murwira said closer economic cooperation between the two neighbours was critical to driving industrial growth and job creation.
His remarks were delivered on his behalf by Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Ambassador Albert Chimbindi.
“This gathering is not a routine business gathering,” said Prof Murwira.
“We are here on a mission. A mission of production. A mission of trade. A mission of investment. A mission of job creation. A mission of prosperity, and if I may say so, we are on a mission of economic cooperation that must translate into tangible prosperity for our people.”
He said diplomacy and bilateral relations must translate into tangible economic benefits for citizens, including increased trade flows, industrial activity and employment creation.
“What is diplomacy if it does not improve the material conditions of our people? What is good neighbourliness if it does not open factories, move trucks, build value chains and create livelihoods?”
Prof Murwira noted that Zimbabwe and Botswana share deep historical, cultural and economic ties, but warned that trade volumes between the two countries remain low.
According to 2024 figures, Zimbabwe exported goods worth about US$39,15 million to Botswana, while imports stood at about US$45,5 million, bringing total bilateral trade to US$84,65 million.
“For two countries with such close proximity, such historical affinity, such complementary production capabilities, and such strategic border connectivity – US$84,65 million is not enough,” he said.
“It is a start, yes, but it is not the destination. It is a stream on the road to the mountaintop, but we must never mistake the stream for the destination.”
He said both countries must take advantage of an existing bilateral trade agreement that allows qualifying goods to enter duty-free under agreed rules of origin, adding that the focus should now shift from agreements to actual trade volumes.
“The question is not whether the framework exists. The question is: are we using it enough? Are we utilising it with the urgency that our people deserve? Are we moving fast enough from preferential access to actual trade volumes?”
Prof Murwira called for a shift from trading finished goods to building integrated value chains, with cooperation in sectors such as agro-processing, mining, manufacturing, construction, pharmaceuticals, logistics and tourism.
“We must move from trade in isolation to integrated value chains; from raw commodities to beneficiation and processing; from adjacency to industrial partnership; and from border proximity to shared competitiveness.”
Botswana’s Trade and Entrepreneurship Minister Tiroeaone Ntsima said the forum provided a platform to unlock new trade and investment opportunities between the two countries.
“Our bilateral trade agreement remains a key instrument in facilitating trade, allowing goods and services exchanged between our countries to benefit from preferential treatment, including exemption from customs duties, subject to meeting rules of origin requirements,” he said.
Minister Ntsima encouraged businesses to fully utilise the framework and engage relevant institutions to expand cross-border trade.
He said priority sectors for cooperation include agriculture and agro-processing, mining and mineral beneficiation, manufacturing, tourism and financial services.
