Online Reporter
The Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) 2025 Annual Congress kicked off in Victoria Falls yesterday and will be officially opened today by Vice President, Dr Constantino Chiwenga today.
Running under the theme “Unlocking Business Potential Through Policy, Partnerships, and Productivity”, the congress has brought together business leaders, policymakers and international delegates.
The event is set to delve into pressing economic issues through panel discussions, keynote addresses, and networking sessions.
It will also interrogate the regulatory landscape in Zimbabwe and the region, particularly learning from best practices to deepen policy quality, partnerships, and enhance productivity.
Our Reporters Rutendo Nyeve and Mukudzei Chingwere are in Victoria Falls and will provide live coverage of the event.
Stay tuned.
A platform for dialogue and action
Addressing the delegates yesterday, ZNCC president Mr Tapiwa Karoro spoke on the role of the platform as a catalyst for dialogue and action.
“This year’s theme underscores a strategic focus on enhancing the business environment, fostering collaborative efforts, and boosting operational efficiency to drive sustainable economic growth,” he said.
“Given Zimbabwe’s recent economic hurdles, including an estimated GDP growth decline of two percent in 2024 due to El Niño-induced drought, the ZNCC’s emphasis is both timely and critical.
“Sound policies create an enabling environment for investment, innovation, and industrial growth. By implementing progressive regulations, trade policies, and economic reforms such as the Zimbabwe Industrial Reconstruction and Growth Plan (ZIRGP) and the National Development Strategy, businesses can operate with confidence, expand market access, and attract foreign direct investment.”
He said for 131 years, ZNCC has represented the interests of its members through advocacy, focusing on business empowerment as the engine for economic growth.
“Unlocking business potential requires a strategic alignment of policy, partnerships, and productivity. Sound policies create an enabling environment for investment, partnerships foster collaborative growth and productivity ensures competitiveness in global markets,” he said.
Mr Karoro said particular attention will be given to the burdensome licensing requirements, currency instability, judicial inefficiencies, and the high cost of regulatory compliance, all of which discourage entrepreneurship and stifle innovation.
“This discussion will explore how Zimbabwe can draw from these successful models to develop a coherent, predictable, and enabling regulatory framework,” he said.
“As the continent deepens integration under the AfCFTA, Zimbabwe’s competitiveness will increasingly depend on its ability to align with regional standards and eliminate the barriers posed by inconsistent and unpredictable policy environments.”
Strategic partnerships spur business
Mr Karoro said strategic partnerships between the public and private sectors, international investors, and regional stakeholders are key to driving sustainable business growth.
“Public-private collaborations enhance infrastructure development, access to finance, and technology transfer,” he said.
“Strengthening relationships with regional and global economic players, alongside fostering synergies between businesses and academia, ensures skills development and competitiveness in an evolving economic landscape.
“The chamber fosters effective collaboration with sister chambers of commerce in the region and beyond, including the COMESA Business Council, the Pan-African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
“ZNCC is also actively engaged in organizing trade missions in collaboration with Embassies,” said Mr Karoro.
VP Chiwenga arrives for official opening
Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga is in Victoria Falls to officially open the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) 2025 Annual Congress, which began yesterday and will run until June 28.
The congress is a key event as it aligns with the Second Republic’s commitment to pursuing business-friendly policies aimed at fostering economic growth.
This year’s theme, “Unlocking Business Potential Through Policy, Partnerships, and Productivity,” reflects a strategic focus on collaboration and effective policy-making, which is essential for revitalising Zimbabwe’s economy.
Upon his arrival at the conference venue, Dr Chiwenga was welcomed by senior Government officials, including Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Cde Richard Moyo; Speaker of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda; Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science, and Technology Development, Ambassador Frederick Shava, and the Minister of Skills Audit, Professor Paul Mavima, among others.
The congress serves as a platform for business leaders and policymakers to engage in crucial discussions aimed at identifying opportunities and solutions for the challenges facing the business community.
As delegates from various industries gather, the event promises to facilitate meaningful partnerships that will ultimately support the Government’s vision for economic transformation.
In his address, Vice President Chiwenga is expected to highlight the Government’s ongoing efforts to create a conducive business environment that encourages investment and innovation.
ZNCC applauds NDS1 progress, calls for regulatory reforms under NDS2
THE ZNCC has commended the Government for the significant strides made under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), describing it as a critical foundation towards achieving Vision 2030.
As the country transitions to NDS2, the business lobby group urged authorities to address key policy and regulatory challenges to unlock Zimbabwe’s full economic potential.
Speaking during the official opening of the ZNCC 2025 Annual Congress that is currently underway in Victoria Falls, ZNCC President Mr Tapiwa Karoro highlighted the need for a structured and market-driven approach to economic transformation.
“The Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce applauds the Government of Zimbabwe for its strides under National Development Strategy 1, which laid a critical foundation towards achieving Vision 2030,” he said.
Mr Karoro said it is important for Zimbabwe to have sound policies, strategic partnerships and enhanced productivity.
“Unlocking business potential begins with clear, consistent, and critical policy. NDS2 must be built on an evidence-based review of our performance under NDS1,” he said.
Among the key issues requiring urgent attention is the cumbersome regulatory environment, which continues to stifle business growth.
“We must address one of the most persistent obstacles to doing business in Zimbabwe – the overly complex, fragmented and costly regulatory compliance environment,” said Mr Karoro.
“Businesses face layers of licenses, permits, levies, and requirements from various regulatory bodies, many of which duplicate functions and contradict each other,” he said.
Mr Karoro also expressed optimism following engagements with Government officials, including Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
“In our deliberations with the Vice President, I must say, the Government is very much aware of these issues,” he said.
Government works on attracting investment
THE Government has intensified efforts to strengthen local economies, ensuring they align with contemporary foreign and domestic investment expectations.
This comes as the Second Republic, under President Mnangagwa’s leadership, accelerates the devolution agenda to foster inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Speaking during the official opening this morning, Secretary for Presidential Affairs and Devolution in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti outlined key measures being implemented to empower provinces and local authorities.
Engineer Muguti said the Government is reconfiguring State structures to support the devolution agenda.
“The Government is seized with the task of reconfiguring State architecture to support the constitution-driven devolution agenda. To this effect, measures have been put in place in the last five years to ensure that we have a clear devolved structure of Central Government, Provincial Government, and Local Government,” he said.
He highlighted the role of Provincial Development Committees, Local Development Committees, and legislative bodies such as Provincial Councils in driving development.
However, he stressed that a paradigm shift is needed for Zimbabwe to fully realise provincial economic growth.
“This includes fiscal discipline, ensuring that the three tiers of Government adhere to the plans and trajectory of national development blueprints,” he said.
To address economic challenges and enhance investment readiness, the Government has introduced several initiatives, including provincial and local economic development plans, decentralised stakeholder consultations, fiscal devolution, provincial development agencies, and community share ownership trusts.
He said the Government is developing Provincial Fiscal Performance Analysis Frameworks to track economic progress.
“From this year, we will look at the provincial Gross Domestic Products, including per capita, provincial production index, ensuring that each province is responsible for its productivity,” he said.
Other indices include food security, tourism, infrastructure, employment, and poverty reduction.
Engineer Muguti urged businesses to adopt transformative thinking and shun speculative practices.
“Government policies are meant to guide and regulate how your businesses operate and compete. Government is also there to create a conducive investment and economic climate, which allows you to prosper,” he said.
He called for an end to economic sabotage, smuggling, and arbitrage, urging businesses to engage constructively in policy formulation.
“Let us work together. You can submit your suggestions on how we can make the economy better to Parliament or the Presidency,” he said.
Peter Tanyanyiwa