ZIMBABWE HOSTS the 25th COMESA Summit at a time when growth in exports and production is providing a stronger base for continued economic development and deeper participation in regional trade.
Merchandise exports reached approximately US$9,71 billion in 2025, up 30 percent from US$7,43 billion in 2024.
Over the same period, the trade deficit narrowed significantly, while value-added exports increased by 30.6 percent, from US$437 million to US$571 million.
The significance of this performance extends beyond the increase in export receipts.
It reflects improvements in the capacity of Zimbabwe’s productive sectors to supply external markets and provides a basis for further growth in production, value addition and industrial activity.
Export growth also creates demand across supporting value chains, including transport, packaging, logistics, certification, storage and other business services.
These developments are consistent with the country’s broader development focus on strengthening agriculture, mining and manufacturing while increasing the value derived from domestic production.
Zimbabwe remains an important exporter of primary commodities, but greater emphasis is being placed on processing, beneficiation and the development of manufactured products that can compete in regional and international markets.
The growth in value-added exports is therefore particularly important.
It points to a gradual broadening of the export base and creates a platform for further industrial development.
Building and construction material exports, for example, increased from US$26.4 million in 2024 to US$103.7 million in 2025, supported partly by increased exports of iron and steel products.
Such growth demonstrates the potential for Zimbabwe to participate more strongly in regional supply chains for construction, mining, agriculture and industry.
However, continued export growth requires more enterprises to produce to internationally accepted standards, understand market requirements and develop the capacity to supply buyers consistently.
ZimTrade’s export-development programmes therefore assist businesses with areas such as product development, standards, packaging, branding, market information and export procedures.
Market surveys and trade intelligence complement this work by identifying demand and guiding businesses towards markets where Zimbabwean products have competitive potential.
An important part of the national export-development programme has also been to broaden participation in trade.
Through the Export Cluster Development Programme, small producers are being organised around specific products and common market requirements.
Many rural producers operate at a scale that makes it difficult to meet export volumes or independently carry the costs associated with certification, traceability, aggregation and logistics.
The cluster model provides a mechanism for coordinating production, improving consistency and aggregating volumes for formal markets.
In the Midlands Province, for example, producers of sugar snap and mange tout peas are being organised around production schedules and quality requirements for the United Kingdom market.
Honey producers in Chikomba and Nyanyadzi are receiving support on certification and compliance, while horticulture clusters are being developed around products such as avocado, citrus, bananas, flowers, strawberries and spices.
These programmes have a wider development significance.
They provide a route for rural production to participate in formal domestic and export value chains and help connect producers to services and infrastructure required by commercial markets.
As production expands, opportunities are also created in aggregation, transport, packaging, processing, cold-chain services and certification.
A similar approach is being pursued in Honde Valley, where ZimTrade and its technical partners are supporting smallholder farmers and agribusinesses in banana, coffee, tea and avocado value chains.
The emphasis is not only on finding export markets, but also on strengthening production, quality management, processing and certification.
This enables trade development to contribute to economic activity outside the major industrial centres and supports the broader objective of bringing more communities into mainstream economic activity.
The same principle applies to small businesses.
MSMEs account for a significant part of Zimbabwe’s productive base, but many require support to meet standards, understand export documentation and establish distribution channels.
Ongoing enterprise-development initiatives are intended to address these gaps and build a larger pool of export-ready firms.
Programmes such as Eagles’ Nest have provided a pathway for youth-led enterprises, while the SheTrades Zimbabwe Hub is strengthening opportunities for women-led businesses to participate in regional and international trade.
The cumulative effect is an export-development model that links national trade performance with enterprise growth and wider economic participation.
Stronger exports provide markets for increased production; increased production supports value addition and employment; and a broader exporter base spreads the benefits of trade across more sectors and communities.
These are important foundations for sustaining economic development.
They also strengthen Zimbabwe’s proposition within COMESA.
