ZimTrade urges exporters to tap into COMESA market ahead of Harare summit
ZimTrade is encouraging local Zimbabwean businesses to increase exports to the COMESA market ahead of the upcoming summit in Harare. The agency highlights a significant growth in value-added exports and the importance of regional trade integration.
Why it matters
Increased regional trade within Africa is a key strategy for economic development and reducing trade deficits for nations like Zimbabwe.
ZimTrade has implored local players to tap into the COMESA export market ahead of the 25 th Summit scheduled to take place in Harare later this month.
The 25th COMESA Summit of Heads of State and Government will take place from October 19–22, 2026, in Harare with the main presidential summit hosted on October 22 at the New Parliament Building in Mount Hampden.
COMESA is one of Africa’s largest and most significant regional economic trading blocs. Over 640 million people, representing roughly half of Africa’s total population, with a combined GDP of approximately US$1.0 trillion to US$1.2 trillion.
Ahead of the event, ZimTrade implored locals to take advantage of the market, which comes at a time when merchandise exports reached approximately US$9, 71 billion in 2025, up 30 percent from US$7,43 billion in 2024.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in