Zimbabwe, Uganda can leverage AfCFTA, COMESA to expand bilateral trade

AfCFTA provides the framework to expand trade within Africa by lowering tariffs, addressing non-tariff barriers and creating a single market.

Michael Tome

Business Reporter

ZIMBABWE and Uganda have been urged to take advantage of regional and continental trade frameworks, including the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), to expand bilateral trade, diversify exports and accelerate industrialisation.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Professor Amon Murwira, said this in a speech read on his behalf by Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, at the Zimbabwe–Uganda Business Forum held in Harare today.

The meeting comes at a time when African countries are intensifying efforts to deepen economic integration under AfCFTA, amid growing recognition that intra-African trade remains significantly underdeveloped.

Trade between Zimbabwe and Uganda remains subdued, averaging below US$1 million annually between 2020 and 2024, highlighting significant untapped opportunities.

According to official statistics, the low trade volumes between the two countries should be viewed as a platform for growth rather than a limitation, with scope to establish new commercial corridors, diversify traded goods and strengthen supply chains.