On Friday, February 20th, President Emmerson Mnangagwa arrived at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre in Bulawayo to officially open the 2026 ZimTrade Exporters Conference and Awards. The conference, themed “Rooted Locally, Growing Globally,” brought together policymakers, business leaders, and industry experts to discuss ways to expand Zimbabwe’s export footprint.
This event is an important part of the trade calendar, focusing on adding value and sustainable integration into global markets.
ZimTrade, the national trade development and promotion organization, hosted the conference to help align government policy with business needs. Various sessions included talks on navigating global value chains and adopting sustainable trade practices that support local businesses.
The focus on exports is backed by positive trade data from the previous year, showing a 30% increase in exports, totaling US$9.7 billion in 2025. This growth sets a solid foundation for the discussions at the conference.
It is worth noting that this Exporters Conference was a standalone event focusing on trade policy, separate from the main Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) exhibition that will take place in April 2026.
The Zimbabwean government aims to boost growth in the export sector, utilizing local resources and expertise to strengthen country’s position in global markets.