Online Reporter
Zimbabwe and Mozambique must turn proximity into prosperity
Zimbabwe’s participation at the Maputo International Trade Fair (FACIM) 2026 is more than an opportunity for local companies to display their products.
It is an important reminder that the Second Republic’s economic diplomacy must increasingly turn longstanding political and diplomatic relationships into deeper trade, investment and production links.
The weeklong event started yesterday with 20 Zimbabwean companies, including the National Railways of Zimbabwe, Nestlé Zimbabwe, Allied Timbers, Chloride Zimbabwe, Mutare Board and Paper Mill, Paramount Exports and Zesa Enterprises participating, as we report elsewhere today.
Mozambique is uniquely positioned to become one of Zimbabwe’s most important economic partners. Geography gives the two neighbours an advantage that cannot easily be replicated elsewhere.
Zimbabwe is landlocked, while Mozambique provides access to the Indian Ocean through the Beira and Maputo corridors. This proximity should translate into lower transport costs, faster market access and stronger regional value chains.
There is also a deeper foundation on which to build. Zimbabwe and Mozambique share a long history of political solidarity, particularly from the liberation struggle, as well as cultural and social ties that have endured beyond independence. These bonds have created familiarity and trust that should now be harnessed for commercial purposes.
The growth in Zimbabwean exports to Mozambique, from $255.1 million in 2024 to $266.2 million last year, is encouraging, but it also suggests considerable room for expansion.
We should not be content with exporting more manufactured goods alone. Our two countries can collaborate in agriculture, mining, energy, logistics, manufacturing, tourism and services, creating value chains that benefit businesses and workers on both sides of the border.
The inaugural Zimbabwe-Mozambique Bi-National Commission last year provides an important political framework for this ambition. Proposed projects such as a dry port along the Beira Corridor, modernisation of the fuel pipeline and a one-stop border post at Forbes-Machipanda could significantly reduce the cost and friction of doing business.
The removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers under SADC and AfCFTA arrangements should be strongly pursued. Infrastructure is only useful when goods can move efficiently across borders and companies can operate within predictable regulatory frameworks.
Zimbabwe’s economic diplomacy must therefore be judged by what it delivers on the ground. Trade fairs such as FACIM can open doors, but sustained engagement is needed to convert enquiries into contracts, investments and partnerships.
Mozambique, meanwhile, can benefit from a reliable nearby source of manufactured and processed goods while Zimbabwe gains access to a growing market and vital trade corridors.
The two countries should think beyond their traditional roles as neighbours and develop a shared economic future built around complementary strengths. Geography has placed them side by side; history has brought them together and political ties have provided a strong foundation.
The task now is to turn that foundation into prosperity.
For us, closer economic integration with Mozambique would advance our export ambitions, strengthen regional connectivity and give substance to its broader economic diplomacy thrust. For Mozambique, deeper links with Zimbabwe would help expand its hinterland markets and strengthen the commercial importance of its transport infrastructure.
