ZIMBABWE · REGIONAL TRADE
Key Facts
- —What is happening President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe took over the chair of COMESA from Kenya’s William Ruto on Thursday, 22 October 2026, at the bloc’s 25th summit in Harare for a 2026 to 2027 term.
- —Why it matters COMESA is a 21 country trade bloc of about 640 million people with an estimated combined GDP of US$1.23 trillion, so its chair shapes the agenda on tariffs, border rules and industry.
- —The numbers Zimbabwe’s 2025 sales to COMESA partners are estimated at US$222 million, up 10.4%, while exports among all members fell to US$13 billion from a 2023 peak of US$18 billion.
- —Who is who Mnangagwa is Zimbabwe’s president and leads the ruling ZANU-PF party, Ruto is Kenya’s president and the outgoing chair, and Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe is COMESA’s secretary general.
- —What to watch Watch whether Zimbabwe turns its pledge on value addition into tariff cuts and faster border crossings, and how the new 2026 to 2030 strategic plan is funded.
- —What it means for you US exporters and investors in southern and eastern Africa face a bloc pushing local processing of minerals and crops, but no new rule or tariff for US firms was announced.
Zimbabwe now leads the 21 state Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. Its president has promised faster industrial growth.
Zimbabwe’s president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, took the COMESA chair on Thursday, 22 October 2026. COMESA is the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, a trade bloc of 21 member states.
Kenya’s president, William Ruto, handed over the chair at the bloc’s 25th summit in Harare. Herald Online puts the bloc at about 640 million people and a combined GDP of US$1.23 trillion.
COMESA Chair Passes From Kenya to Zimbabwe
The handover took place at the New Parliament Building in Mount Hampden, outside Harare, Dawan Africa and Nairobi Business Monthly report. Kenya had held the chair since the 24th summit in Nairobi on 9 October 2025.
Ruto took that chair from Burundi’s president, Évariste Ndayishimiye, The Star of Kenya reports. At Harare he told the summit that the world is fragmenting and that closer integration is the answer, according to Citizen Digital.
Ruto said Africa wants partners who deal fairly and recognise its young workforce and mineral wealth, Dawan Africa reports. He also noted that Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame, was attending.
The reports reviewed name no other heads of state at the summit. A full attendance list is therefore not confirmed.
What Mnangagwa Promised as Chair
Mnangagwa pledged to speed up regional industrialisation, farm processing and infrastructure financing, according to NewsDay of Zimbabwe. He urged member states to get more value from their natural resources.
He said, “During our tenure, we aim to work closely with all member states to fast-track value addition and beneficiation.” Beneficiation means processing raw minerals and crops at home instead of exporting them unprocessed.
Citizen Digital says he named processing of natural resources, agro-processing industrial parks and climate resilient agriculture as priorities. He added that the common market should help firms produce at scale and move goods across borders more efficiently.
Zimbabwe’s Trade Priorities for the Term
Herald Online reported on 18 October that Zimbabwe wants lower tariffs, fewer non tariff barriers and faster border crossings. It also wants more digital trade tools, building on the Chirundu One-Stop Border Post and the electronic certificate of origin.
Non tariff barriers are rules, permits and delays, other than import duties, that slow trade at borders. The Harare government has not yet published how it will measure progress on them.
The Trade Picture Behind the Handover
ZimTrade, Zimbabwe’s trade promotion agency, counts US$222 million of exports to COMESA markets in 2025. That is up 10.4% from US$201 million in 2024.
The figures come from its trade brief, as cited by The Chronicle on 9 October. Zambia is the largest market it names, at US$131.4 million in 2025, while Kenya took US$20.1 million.
Exports to Uganda fell from US$127.2 million in 2020 to under US$20,000 by 2024, The Chronicle reports. Exports among all members fell from US$18 billion in 2023 to US$13 billion in 2025, about 28% lower.
ZimTrade blames foreign exchange shortages, inflation, weak infrastructure and non tariff barriers for the weaker trade. It recommends harmonised trade procedures, digital market access platforms, regional payment systems and transport upgrades.
The 2026 to 2030 Strategic Plan
The summit launched COMESA’s Medium Term Strategic Plan for 2026 to 2030, Nairobi Business Monthly reports. COMESA says the plan has five pillars, including infrastructure and connectivity and productive integration.
COMESA’s Council of Ministers adopted the plan at a virtual meeting on 2 April 2026, according to the secretariat. Kenya’s trade minister, Lee Kinyajui, chaired it and said that successful implementation will be critical for raising intra-regional trade.
What It Means for US Readers
US exporters and investors in southern and eastern Africa face a bloc whose new chair stresses local processing. That could shape which projects win support, but no rule or tariff aimed at US firms was announced.
Washington’s ties with Harare remain limited, News24 reported in April 2025, when it put bilateral trade at US$157 million in 2023. News24 also said Mnangagwa had been placed on a US Magnitsky sanctions list over alleged abuses after the 2023 election.
AGOA is the US trade law giving many African exports duty free access. Law firm Baker McKenzie says it was extended to 31 December 2026, naming Kenya among beneficiaries.
Semafor reported in August 2026 that the Senate backed an extension to 2028 while the House had not agreed. Neither article ties AGOA to Zimbabwe or to this summit.
Travellers should know that Harare’s summit week ran from Monday, 19 October to Thursday, 22 October. More than 1,000 delegates were expected, and the reports reviewed carry no change to US travel advice for Zimbabwe.
What Is Not Known
NewsDay’s full article sits behind a paywall, so only its lead and one quotation were read. Mnangagwa’s full speech and any official text from his office were not found.
COMESA had not posted a summit communique when this article was prepared, so the decisions adopted are not confirmed. Early Herald Online items gave 21 October for the summit, but later reports and the Kenyan press give Thursday, 22 October.
The ZimTrade figures come from one agency, via The Chronicle, and were not checked against COMESA statistics. The 640 million people and US$1.23 trillion GDP figures come from Herald Online and Dawan Africa, not from a COMESA table.
The current state of US sanctions on Zimbabwean officials and the outcome of the AGOA extension were not re-checked. Neither was tied to this summit in any report reviewed.
What Comes Next
Zimbabwe holds the chair for the 2026 to 2027 term. The reports reviewed give no date or place for the next summit.
The test is whether the tariff, border and digital trade plans move from speeches to rules. The new strategic plan also still has to be funded by member states and partners.
The costing of the plan and its first implementation steps are the next things to watch. No funding figure for it appears in the reports reviewed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is COMESA?
COMESA is the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, a trade bloc of 21 states. Herald Online puts it at 640 million people, and its presidents pass on the chair at a yearly summit.
Who chairs COMESA now?
Zimbabwe’s president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has chaired the bloc since Thursday, 22 October 2026. He succeeded Kenya’s William Ruto, who had held the chair since 9 October 2025.
What does Zimbabwe want to do as chair?
Mnangagwa promised faster industrialisation, farm processing and more value addition to natural resources. Zimbabwe’s stated aims also include lower tariffs, fewer non tariff barriers and faster border crossings.
How much does Zimbabwe sell to COMESA countries?
ZimTrade counts US$222 million of Zimbabwean exports to COMESA markets in 2025, up 10.4% from 2024. Zambia is the largest market it names, at US$131.4 million.
Does this change anything for US businesses or travellers?
No rule, tariff or travel advice aimed at US firms or visitors was announced in the reports reviewed. US companies may see more emphasis on local processing in projects across the bloc.
Sources: COMESA Secretariat; NewsDay (Zimbabwe); Citizen Digital (Kenya); Dawan Africa; Nairobi Business Monthly; The Star (Kenya); Herald Online, 18 October; The Chronicle via Herald Online, 9 October; Malawi Broadcasting Corporation; News24; Baker McKenzie; Semafor (all accessed 22 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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