Zimbabwe exported goods worth US$222 million to COMESA last year as it prepares to host the 19th COMESA Business Forum in Harare from October 19 to 21, 2026, on the margins of the 25th COMESA Summit. The regional bloc unites 21 nations with a population near 640 million and a $1 trillion economy, offering local exporters a platform to expand trade.
Preparations are underway in Harare for a regional gathering that brings together trade officials, executives, and policymakers from across Eastern and Southern Africa. The 19th COMESA Business Forum and Multi-Sectoral International Exhibition is scheduled to run from October 19 to 21, 2026, at the Harare International Conference Centre. The event precedes the 25th COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit, set for October 22, 2026, in Mt Hampden, where Zimbabwe is slated to assume the rotational chairmanship of the bloc from Kenya for the 2026–2027 term.
The week-long series of meetings operates under the theme One Market, One Future: Advancing Inclusive Industrialisation, Investment and Regional Integration in COMESA
. The programme opens with the COMESA Green Industries Connect on October 19, followed by a High-Level Policy Dialogue on October 20. An International Multisectoral Exhibition runs concurrently through October 21 to showcase products, technologies, and services from member states.
Scheduled for 19 October, the Green Industries Connect will assemble circular economy practitioners, financiers, policymakers, and enterprises to spot opportunities across key green value chains, whereas the High-Level Policy Dialogue on 20 October will gather public and private sector chiefs to debate critical industrialisation, investment, and trade priorities impacting the region.
Export Trends Shape Regional Trade Dynamics
Data compiled by ZimTrade shows that Zimbabwe exported goods worth US$222 million to COMESA last year, marking a 10.4 percent increase from US$201 million in 2024. The rebound follows a volatile four-year period during which exports rose from US$155 million in 2022 to US$229 million in 2023 before dipping by 12.2 percent. Demand for tobacco, sugar, packaging materials, and manufactured goods supported last year’s recovery.
Zambia remains Zimbabwe’s largest export destination within the bloc, despite exports easing from US$146 million in 2024 to US$131.4 million last year. Alternative markets are also growing, with shipments to Kenya climbing to US$29.8 million in 2023 prior to dropping to US$10.6 million in 2024 and rebounding to US$20.1 million last year, while sales to Egypt advanced from a mere US$90,000 in 2020 to US$14.6 million in 2024, despite retreating to US$6.7 million last year. On a regional scale, total COMESA imports climbed from US$8.6 billion in 2019 to US$10.3 billion in 2022 before dropping back to US$8.6 billion in 2024 and bouncing back to US$9.5 billion last year.
Exhibitions Drive Business Matchmaking
Organisers have structured the programme around business-to-business and business-to-government engagements aimed at securing commercial transactions and forming cross-border partnerships, drawing on past successes such as the previous edition held in Nairobi in 2025. Participating companies can access financing information through regional lenders such as the Trade and Development Bank and Afreximbank. Enterprises wanting to take part in structured business-to-business sessions, join the Forum, or exhibit are advised to register early via the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce or ZimTrade to secure their spot in the matchmaking initiative.
President Mnangagwa Will Chair COMESA for 2026–2027 Tenure
ZimTrade notes that Zimbabwe’s national Gross Domestic Product stood at approximately US$44.188 billion as of 2024. The COMESA market encompasses 21 nations with a combined population of approximately 640 million people and an economic valuation of about US$1 trillion, alongside merchandise trade exceeding US$383 billion. Following the conclusion of the business forum, His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa is slated to take over as Chairperson of the regional bloc for the 2026–2027 tenure during the heads of state summit in Mt Hampden.