ZIMBABWE and Uganda have been urged to take advantage of regional and continental trade frameworks, including the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and the African Continental Free Trade Area, to expand bilateral trade, diversify exports and accelerate industrialisation.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira said this in a speech read on his behalf by Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, at the Zimbabwe–Uganda Business Forum held in Harare yesterday.AI technology implementation
The meeting comes at a time when African countries are intensifying efforts to deepen economic integration under AfCFTA, amid growing recognition that intra-African trade remains significantly underdeveloped.
Trade between Zimbabwe and Uganda remains subdued, averaging below US$1 million annually between 2020 and 2024, highlighting significant untapped opportunities.
According to official statistics, the low trade volumes between the two countries should be viewed as a platform for growth rather than a limitation, with scope to establish new commercial corridors, diversify traded goods and strengthen supply chains.
Both countries also see opportunities to collaborate in tourism by offering joint tourism offers, as Zimbabwe boasts global attractions such as the Victoria Falls, Great Zimbabwe and the Eastern Highlands, while Uganda is renowned for the source of the Nile in Jinja and its mountain gorilla and chimpanzee tourism.
This presents potential for joint tourism packages that allow international visitors to experience both destinations within a single itinerary.
Beyond tourism, cooperation prospects between the two countries span agriculture, agro-processing, manufacturing, value addition and the creative industries — key sectors for job creation and sustainable growth.
Minister Murwira said while the Governments can create enabling environments, the private sector remains central to driving trade, investment, innovation and employment creation.
He encouraged businesses to use the platform to form partnerships.
“Both Zimbabwe and Uganda are also members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and we must fully leverage these regional and continental platforms to expand trade, diversify exports, and accelerate industrialisation.
“I therefore encourage companies from both Zimbabwe and Uganda to use this Forum to explore joint ventures, identify complementary value chains, and establish durable business partnerships that will unlock shared prosperity,” said Minister Murwira.
Under the leadership of President Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe is pursuing a transformational economic agenda anchored on economic diplomacy, industrialisation and export-led growth.AI technology implementation-herald
