Sadc Industrialization Week Prepares Region for AfCFTA

Oliver Kazunga

Senior Business Reporter

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Industrialisation Week (SIW) is expected to help lay the foundations needed to prepare Zimbabwean businesses and regional partners for the stronger competition they will face in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The AfCFTA, to which Zimbabwe is a signatory, aims to eliminate tariffs on 90 percent of goods traded between member countries within 10 years.

The project aims to support regional economic integration and increase intra-Africa trade by 53 percent by next year, which could create 30 million jobs and lift 30 million people out of poverty.

The AfCFTA, which entered into force in January 2021, aims to, among other things, streamline customs procedures, reduce bureaucracy and harmonise technical standards to facilitate the flow of goods across the continent’s borders.

The SIW, which will begin today in Harare with a media day followed by an investment conference officially opened tomorrow by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, will focus on key strategies and a roadmap to industrialise all sectors of the economy and drive economic growth in the region.

President Mnangagwa is expected to officially open the SIW on Wednesday.

The SIW, which ends on Friday, will be held under the theme “Promoting Innovation to Unlock Opportunities for Sustainable Growth and Development: Towards an Industrialised SADC”.

In parallel with the SIW, an exhibition will also be held, where representatives of the private sector from across the region will present their products and establish business contacts.

In an interview last week, Industry and Trade Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said the government, in collaboration with the bloc secretariat, the SADC Business Council and the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industry (CZI), was ready to host the SIW and the investment conference.

More than 1,350 people from 16 SADC countries – Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Madagascar, Mauritius, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Seychelles and Tanzania – registered to participate in the event.

More than 350 exhibitors and 13 representatives of the SADC Secretariat were also invited to the SIW.

“The AfCFTA opens up borders across the continent and during the SIW we will also address issues that we believe will help us become more competitive and enable us as a bloc to participate in markets across the continent,” Minister Ndlovu said.

He added that the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap speaks of industrialisation and the bloc is making progress in positioning itself to reach the markets offered by the AfCFTA.

The following spoke: President of the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, Mr Tapiwa Karoro.

“SADC and other regional communities are the backbone of the AfCFTA and this event provides a unique opportunity to align our regional industrial strategies with the broader AfCFTA objectives, supporting a coherent approach to trade and economic integration,” he said.

“The conference will facilitate knowledge sharing and cooperation between Member States, contributing to the harmonisation of industrial policies and regulatory frameworks.”

He added: “As the AfCFTA is currently being implemented and some SADC countries are participating in the Targeted Trade Initiative, this alignment is crucial to reducing trade barriers and ensuring the smooth flow of goods and services across borders.”

He added that by addressing common challenges, including infrastructure shortages, market access constraints and value chain development issues, the SIW will equip member countries with the necessary tools to leverage the enormous opportunities presented by the AfCFTA.

“The interactions and partnerships forged during the week will enhance the region’s competitive advantage by promoting innovation and building capacity.

“Initiatives such as the recently approved Botswana-Zimbabwe-Mozambique Railway Project play a key role in enabling regional trade and investment, and are essential building blocks for the construction of the AfCFTA,” Mr Karoro said.

“By collaborating with regional and international stakeholders, businesses can gain insight into best practices and emerging trends, allowing them to adapt and succeed in the continental market.

“This collective readiness will not only increase individual country performance but also strengthen the SADC bloc’s position as a powerful player in the AfCFTA, driving sustainable economic growth and development across Africa.”

The Chairman of the CZI, Mr. Kurai Matsheza, officially stated that the SADC industrialization program focuses on considering strategies that will lead to the industrialization of all economic sectors in the region.

“When it comes to industrialization, it talks about how the economy will develop and of course it includes all sectors, from infrastructure, agriculture and manufacturing, among others.

“But the most important thing is how it will enable the SADC economies to grow – we can industrialise but if we don’t trade with each other, that won’t make sense either, so trade is very important,” he said in a recent interview with Zimpapers Television Network.

Mr Matsheza said that although the pace at which the region is moving towards industrialisation has been slow, there have been significant achievements in areas such as the energy sector, where power links have been established between South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

“Zambia and Namibia have a connection between Angola and a regional connection between Tanzania,” he said.

“On the agro-food industry, Zimbabwe and Zambia are again discussing the Zam-Zim Agricultural and Industrial Park, which is an example of agricultural industrialisation.

“There are a lot of initiatives underway, although we still have a long way to go, but we are heading in that direction.”