Colletta Dube
Prosper Ndlovu [email protected]
AFRICA’S next liberation will not be won through aid but through trade, with Zimbabwe urging African nations to accelerate regional commerce, industrialisation and value addition as the continent positions itself as “the marketplace of today.”
Speaking at the official launch of the International Trade Council (ITC) Africa Headquarters in Tema, Ghana on Wednesday, Zimbabwe country representative and chairperson, Mr Jermaine James Chapfiwa, said the continent’s economic future lies in expanding intra-African trade, attracting investment and building industries that create jobs and shared prosperity.
He told guests that included Ghana’s Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Minister Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Presidential Advisor on the 24-hour economy Augustus Goosie Tannoh, diplomats and business leaders, Mr Chapfiwa challenged African countries to replace dependence on aid with commerce.
“Africa will be built by her own people. Not by aid, but by trade. Every truck that crosses a border, every contract between two African firms, every product made here and sold here, lays another brick in that house,” he said.
He said the establishment of the ITC Africa Headquarters in Ghana marked an important step in strengthening regional economic integration by connecting governments, businesses and investors across the continent.
“Our task now is to connect Africa through trade,” said Mr Chapfiwa, adding that the new headquarters would transform “introductions into investment and dialogue into development.”
Using the occasion to showcase Zimbabwe’s investment potential, the youthful business leader said the country offers vast opportunities in mining, agriculture, renewable energy, tourism and manufacturing.
“We hold some of the richest mineral endowments on Earth: gold, platinum, chrome and lithium. We have fertile land that once made us the breadbasket of Africa, an agro-processing sector rebuilding that name, and one of the best-educated workforces on the continent,” he said.
Citing official Government statistics, Mr Chapfiwa said Zimbabwe’s economy now stands at US$59.7 billion, having grown by 8.3 percent in 2025, while exports reached nearly US$9.7 billion.
“The engine is already running. The prize now is value addition: minerals that feed our own industries instead of leaving as raw ore, produce that leaves processed and branded instead of leaving in sacks,” he said, noting that ZimTrade, the country’s trade promotion and exports agency, was helping connect local producers to international markets.
Mr Chapfuwa said Zimbabwe’s development agenda, guided by President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa’s mantra, nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo/a country is built by its own people), reflected a broader vision for Africa’s economic transformation.
“If a country is built by its own people, then surely Africa will be built by her own people… Africa inovakwa nevene vayo,” he said.
Inviting investors to explore opportunities in Zimbabwe, Mr Chapfiwa said the country was open for trade and investment and ready to forge lasting partnerships.
“Zimbabwe needs partners, as we are open for trade and investment. We are a trusted partner, and we are ready to collaborate,” he said.
Declaring that Africa’s economic story was entering a new era, Mr Chapfiwa said: “We are no longer the continent of tomorrow. We are the marketplace of today, and Zimbabwe stands ready: open for trade, open for trust, and open to the world.”
Online Reporter