ZimTrade, Zimbabwe’s national trade promotion agency, is encouraging the country’s exporters to increase engagement with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) ahead of a regional summit scheduled to be held in Harare. The 25th COMESA Summit of Heads of State and Government is slated to take place in the capital city from October 19-22, 2026.
The call from ZimTrade directs Zimbabwean businesses to explore and expand their presence within the 21-member regional economic bloc. The upcoming summit provides a platform for high-level policy discussions and often includes parallel business forums designed to foster trade and investment among member states.
COMESA represents a significant market for Zimbabwe. According to data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the bloc is one of Zimbabwe’s largest trading partners. In its statements, ZimTrade has consistently highlighted the opportunities available under the COMESA Free Trade Area (FTA), which is designed to reduce or eliminate tariffs and non-tariff barriers on goods produced within the region.
The summit in Harare will bring together leaders to discuss regional integration, economic development, and security. The main presidential session is scheduled for October 22, 2026, where key policy decisions are expected to be deliberated. Such events typically attract government officials, business leaders, and investors from across the member nations, including Burundi, Comoros, D.R. Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
In preparation for the summit, ZimTrade is expected to provide local companies with market intelligence and facilitate business-to-business meetings. The agency’s mandate is to develop and promote Zimbabwe’s international trade, with a focus on diversifying export products and markets. Its encouragement for businesses to focus on the COMESA market aligns with the country’s national export strategy, which identifies regional markets as a key area for growth.
