Business Reporter
ZimTrade, the country’s trade development and promotion body, is set to host a Buyers Seminar as part of the 2026 Export Week, aimed at securing export orders and fostering long-term international partnerships.
The event is scheduled to take place on 2 November 2026 at the Holiday Inn in Bulawayo, followed by sessions on 4 and 6 November at the Hyatt Regency in Harare.
The seminars will bring together 15 leading international buyers from the United Kingdom, Germany, China, Poland, Mozambique, Zambia, Rwanda, Angola and Eswatini to engage with local exporters.
In an interview, ZimTrade chief executive officer Allan Majuru said the primary objective is to translate international demand into tangible economic benefits.
“We expect the Seminars to generate export orders, distribution agreements and long-term business partnerships between Zimbabwean exporters and international buyers,” Mr Majuru said.
He added that the broader goal is to boost local production, industrial capacity utilisation, employment creation and foreign currency earnings.
The selection of participating countries was guided by international demand for Zimbabwean products, existing trade relationships and market intelligence. Mr Majuru noted that regional markets offer opportunities to consolidate trade under SADC, COMESA and AfCFTA, while European and Asian markets provide avenues to diversify export destinations and expand trade in higher-value products.
The targeted export sectors include horticulture, processed foods, fast-moving consumer goods, leather and textiles, building materials, engineering products and other manufactured goods.
According to Mr Majuru, these sectors align with the National Export Strategy and National Development Strategy 2, which prioritise export diversification, value addition and industrialisation.
“The target is to grow exports of finished products while creating more opportunities for local producers and suppliers,” he said.
Rather than pursuing a fixed buyer-to-exporter ratio, ZimTrade said it is focusing on facilitating targeted business-to-business engagements. Each buyer will be matched with several capable Zimbabwean exporters based on specific sourcing requirements.
“Our priority is to facilitate targeted business-to-business engagements… focusing on quality engagements that generate export orders, sustainable supply agreements and measurable business outcomes,” Mr Majuru said.
The 2026 Export Week is organised by ZimTrade, with Stanbic Bank and Afreximbank as sponsors. Zimpapers is the media partner for the event.
