President Emmerson Mnangagwa, accompanied by Vice Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi, arrived at the Harare International Conference Centre on Thursday to officially open the inaugural Zimbabwe Industrialisation Conference and Expo 2026.
The President toured exhibitor stands showcasing investment-ready projects spanning key industrial value chains, among them Mineral Beneficiation and Iron and Steel, Agro-Processing and Food Processing, Technology and Pharmaceuticals, as well as Renewable Energy and Logistics.
The conference, convened under the theme “Accelerating Industrialisation Through Regional Value Chains, Innovation and Trade,” was organized by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in collaboration with Africa Economic Development Strategies and other stakeholders.
In his address, Mnangagwa commended the organisers for bringing together government, industry and development partners at a time when the newly released State of Industry and 2027 Prospects Study points to notable gains in the country’s manufacturing base.
According to the President, capacity utilisation in the industrial sector climbed to 61.2 percent in the first quarter of 2026, a sharp rise from 35 percent recorded in 2019. He noted that manufactured exports had grown from US$360 million in 2019 to US$584 million currently, with the manufacturing sector now contributing 17 percent to Gross Domestic Product.
Mnangagwa singled out beneficiation of iron and steel, lithium, cement, pharmaceuticals, tobacco, leather, cotton, fertilizers, dairy, oilseed, sugar, grains, logistics and packaging as priority areas requiring urgent attention from industry players.
He expressed concern over the estimated US$2.5 billion in manufactured goods still being imported despite existing local capacity to produce similar products, directing Industry and Commerce Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu to work on addressing the gap.
The President also urged deeper integration into regional and continental markets, citing Zimbabwe’s obligations under the Southern African Development Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and the African Continental Free Trade Area. He referenced Harare’s hosting of the Intra-African Trade Fair Company’s Southern African hub and the Afreximbank Africa Trade Centre as evidence of the country’s growing regional standing.
Small and Medium Enterprises featured prominently in the address, with Mnangagwa praising entrepreneurs who reached the US$3 million turnover threshold during last week’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Indaba.
The event was attended by COMESA Executive Secretary Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat Secretary-General Wamkele Mene, United Nations Resident Coordinator Edward Kallon, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Cabinet ministers, captains of industry, investors and exhibitors.
Declaring the expo officially open, Mnangagwa expressed confidence that the gathering would generate practical recommendations and new investment partnerships to advance the country’s industrial transformation drive.
