Online Reporter
Kudzanai Sharara in Port Louis, Mauritius
The Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) has said the upcoming COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit, to be hosted by Zimbabwe in October, should serve as a catalyst for regional trade.
ZNCC president Josephine Takundwa, speaking on CapitalkFM’s Business Focus on the sidelines of a trade mission in Mauritius, said the bloc’s summit presents a significant opportunity for the country.
“As the ZNCC, we are very much looking forward to the COMESA Summit, which is in October,” Ms Takundwa said. “And this is obviously a platform for us to show what we have to offer the bloc as Zimbabwe.”
She added: “Hopefully this will also serve as a catalyst in aiding regional trade between Zimbabwe and the rest of the member countries in the bloc. 21 countries is a big exposure for us, so we need to take advantage of that opportunity.”
Zimbabwe is set to host the 25th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Heads of State and Government Summit on 22 October 2026 at the new Parliament Building in Mt Hampden. By hosting the event, the country will take over the rotational bloc chairmanship from Kenya for the 2026–2027 term.
Ms Takundwa, who is leading a Zimbabwean delegation in Mauritius to strengthen bilateral trade and investment, also highlighted the importance of such missions in correcting perceptions about Zimbabwe.
“This is a perfect opportunity to actually showcase the true picture of Zimbabwe,” she said. “Media will report all sorts of things. There’s the perceived risk around Zimbabwe as a country. And when we are on the ground as we are right now, we get an opportunity to correct that narrative.”
She noted that the feedback from Mauritian business community had been positive. “Some quarters were actually not aware of how well developed Zimbabwe industry is,” she said.
Ms Takundwa, who is the third female president of the ZNCC since 1980, said the trade forum had been well received. “The forum was quite a success,” she said, citing a large turnout and the presence of senior officials from both countries.
The forum, held on 19 August, was addressed by Mauritius’s Minister of Industry, SME and Cooperatives, Hon Aadil Ameer Meea, as well as the country’s Junior Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Hon Hambyrajen (Rajen) Narsinghen.
