President Emmerson Mnangagwa has assumed the chairmanship of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Authority, pledging to prioritise industrialisation, value addition, and regional trade during Zimbabwe’s 2026–2027 tenure.
President Mnangagwa took over from Kenyan President William Ruto at the 25th COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit in Harare on Thursday, where he called for stronger regional cooperation to boost industrial growth and economic integration.
He said Zimbabwe would focus on promoting agro-processing, developing cross-border agro-industrial parks, harmonising supply chains and strengthening climate resilience in agriculture as part of efforts to accelerate regional development.
He added that intra-COMESA exports had increased from about US$2 billion when the bloc’s Free Trade Area was established in 2000 to more than US$14 billion in 2025, demonstrating the benefits of regional cooperation.
“This growth demonstrates the value of cooperation,” he said.
The summit, running under the theme “One Market, One Future: Advancing Inclusive Industrialisation, Investment and Regional Integration in COMESA”, is also expected to launch the bloc’s Medium-Term Strategic Plan for 2026–2030.
President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe would promote policies that encourage the processing of raw materials within producing countries, citing the country’s mineral beneficiation policy as an example of how value addition could increase the economic returns from natural resources.
He also called for innovative approaches to financing regional infrastructure projects, arguing that high borrowing costs and debt obligations were limiting development.
“It is now critically important to think outside the box on development financing models that will help bypass high borrowing costs and heavy debt obligations,” he said.
The President further urged COMESA member states to address non-tariff barriers, infrastructure deficits and policy differences that continue to hinder trade across the region.
He said regional integration should deliver tangible benefits to ordinary citizens, including small-scale cross-border traders, women involved in food processing and young digital entrepreneurs.
“No one and no country should be left behind,” Mnangagwa said.
He also reaffirmed Zimbabwe’s foreign policy position of being “a friend to all and an enemy of none” while commending Kenya’s leadership of the regional bloc, particularly its efforts to advance digitisation and regional value chains.
Zimbabwe’s chairmanship comes as COMESA seeks to strengthen intra-regional trade, attract investment and expand industrial production across its member states.