Tafadzwa Nyikadzino

More than 400 exhibitors took part in the annual COMESA Business Forum and Exhibition held at the Harare International Conference Centre from 19 to 21 October 2026.

The exhibitors — women, men and young people from micro, small and medium enterprises to large corporations, showcased products and explored market and business opportunities across the region.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, incoming Chair of the COMESA Authority, toured the exhibition stands and addressed the Forum, calling for greater collaboration among the 21 COMESA Member States to deepen intra-regional trade and investment.

“I challenge this forum to hold frank and bold dialogue that will help scale up intra-regional trade and investment, identify practical solutions and forge partnerships that allow businesses to produce, invest, trade and create jobs across our common market,” said President Mnangagwa.

He challenged delegates to identify steps needed to increase regional production, processing and trade, emphasizing the need for greater investment in agriculture, critical minerals, energy, industrialisation and human capital.

The President said as a building block of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), COMESA must strengthen productive capacity, remove tariffs and non-tariff barriers, and harmonise trade procedures.

COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe highlighted progress made, noting manufacturers are increasingly sourcing inputs from other Member States under the COMESA Free Trade Area.

“Goods are crossing our borders faster through one-stop border posts and electronic certificates of origin. Small-scale traders are trading formally under the Simplified Trade Regime, and enterprises of every size are reaching customers across the region. This is one market in practice,” she said.

She said COMESA has been building the market for more than three decades and now comprises 21 Member States, more than 680 million people and an economy worth approximately US$1 trillion, with intra-regional trade of about US$14 billion.

The Free Trade Area has removed tariffs on qualifying goods, while the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area, which entered into force in July 2024, has further expanded the market.

COMESA Business Council (CBC) Board President Mucai Kunyiha said the CBC provides an institutional platform for private sector contribution to regional integration and that the Business Forum has become a key venue for public-private dialogue and investment links.

“We are also strengthening our focus on business mobility. As businesses expand across borders, entrepreneurs and business professionals must be able to move efficiently within the region,” he said, adding the CBC has begun work on a COMESA Business Visa Scheme.

The Forum was held under the theme “One Market, One Future: Advancing Inclusive Industrialisation, Investment and Regional Integration in COMESA.”

The CBC communiqué will be presented at the 25th COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit scheduled for 22 October 2026 in Harare.