MORE than 30 Zimbabwean companies from the agriculture, building and construction services sectors will travel to Zambia next week as part of a business mission aimed at growing the country’s services exports and strengthening regional trade links.
The Services Business Mission, organised by ZimTrade, will be held in Lusaka from June 9 to 11 and will bring together Zimbabwean firms and potential buyers, investors and business partners from Zambia.
The initiative targets export-ready companies in agriculture services and construction-related services, including small and medium-sized enterprises as well as women and youth-led businesses with the capacity to serve the Zambian market.
The mission builds on a successful exploratory visit undertaken last year, which identified significant opportunities for Zimbabwean firms in Zambia’s building and construction sector.
ZimTrade has since expanded the programme to include agriculture services as part of efforts to diversify Zimbabwe’s export base and increase participation in regional services trade.
ZimTrade chief executive Allan Majuru said the mission formed part of broader efforts to boost services exports, deepen regional integration and advance Zimbabwe’s export-led growth agenda.
“This initiative reflects Zimbabwe’s broader objective of increasing services exports and positioning local companies to play a larger role in regional value chains,” Majuru said.
“As the country advances industrialisation and export-led growth under Vision 2030, markets such as Zambia provide an important platform for Zimbabwean firms to commercialise their expertise, expand their regional footprint and generate foreign currency earnings.”
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He said Zimbabwe had developed strong capabilities in agriculture and construction-related services, creating opportunities for local companies to compete beyond the domestic market.
“Zimbabwe has developed strong capabilities in agriculture and construction-related services, and our focus is to create sustainable export opportunities that support business growth, job creation and greater participation of women and youth-led enterprises in international trade,” he said.
“Zambia offers a strategic gateway into the wider Southern African market and this mission is designed to help local companies convert regional demand into long-term commercial partnerships.”
According to ZimTrade, the mission is expected to generate export orders, create new business leads and provide valuable market intelligence on Zambia’s services sector, while contributing to the diversification of Zimbabwe's exports.
Participating companies will take part in business-to-business meetings, networking sessions and market engagement activities aimed at securing long-term commercial partnerships.
ZimTrade will facilitate the programme through targeted business matchmaking and on-the-ground support during the mission.
Zimbabwe and Zambia enjoy strong bilateral trade relations, with Zambia increasingly emerging as an attractive destination for Zimbabwean exporters due to growing demand for professional services, infrastructure development and agricultural solutions.
The mission is expected to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries while positioning Zimbabwean service providers to tap opportunities across the wider Southern African region. — Staff Writer.
