By Nozipho Maphala
ZIMBABWEAN EXPORTERS will return to the Eswatini International Trade Fair this year, seeking new buyers and distribution partners after the national pavilion’s award-winning performance at the previous edition.
The 58th edition of the fair will run from 28 August to 7 September 2026, at the Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre in Manzini.
Zimbabwe’s participation follows the national pavilion’s receipt of the Stand Excellence Award at the 2025 fair, which recognised the quality of the exhibition and the competitiveness of products displayed by local companies.
The award gave Zimbabwean products greater visibility at the event and provides participating companies with a platform to build on the business contacts made last year.
The fair has become an important meeting point for companies seeking access to buyers, distributors, retailers, investors and other business partners in Southern Africa.
According to the Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority, the 2025 edition attracted more than 70 000 visitors and 282 exhibitors, including over 22 international exhibitors.
The level of participation highlighted the fair’s growing role as a regional trade and investment platform.
Organisers will this year expand exhibition space and increase business-to-business meetings at the 2026 edition, creating more room for exhibitors to engage potential customers and partners.
For Zimbabwean companies, the value of the fair goes beyond securing orders in Eswatini.
The country is located between South Africa and Mozambique and is part of the Southern African Customs Union, SADC and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Its location and membership of these trading blocs make it a useful entry point for companies looking to reach markets across the region.
Eswatini also imports a wide range of manufactured products, consumer goods, agricultural inputs and industrial supplies, creating opportunities for Zimbabwean suppliers.
Zimbabwean companies participating in the fair will be able to meet importers, distributors and retail buyers, while also assessing demand for their products.
The engagements will lead to supply agreements, the appointment of distributors and commercial agents, and the development of longer-term business relationships.
Companies will also be able to gather information on prices, competing products, packaging requirements, customer preferences and distribution systems.
This information will help exporters determine whether their products are suited to the market and what changes may be required before entering it.
Processed foods and beverages, horticultural products, building materials, furniture, clothing and textiles, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, packaging, agricultural inputs and household consumer goods are among the sectors with potential at the fair.
Companies participating under the Zimbabwe Pavilion will receive support with exhibition logistics, national branding, business matchmaking and market information.
The national pavilion will also give exporters a coordinated platform from which to showcase Zimbabwean products and engage potential buyers from Eswatini and other regional markets.
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Companies interested in participating are encouraged to register their interest with ZimTrade by contacting Nozipho Maphala at nmaphala@zimtrade.co.zw or Gugu Mpofu at gmpofu@zimtrade.co.zw, and be part of Zimbabwe’s next successful regional trade mission.
