Ramaphosa, Mnangagwa push South Africa–Zimbabwe integration

by SAVIOUS KWINIKA 
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) — SOUTH Africa and Zimbabwe are set to deepen economic cooperation when Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa address the South Africa–Zimbabwe Business Forum in Johannesburg on Friday.

The forum, hosted by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) alongside the Bi-National Commission (BNC), will bring government and business together to translate political commitments into practical trade and investment opportunities.

The gathering at Gallagher Convention Centre comes as Southern Africa intensifies efforts to strengthen regional integration, industrialisation and value chains.

South Africa and Zimbabwe already enjoy strong commercial ties. South African exports to Zimbabwe were valued at about US$4.3 billion in 2025, according to the South African Presidency.

The focus now is on moving beyond trade in finished products towards greater cooperation in manufacturing, investment, technology, logistics and production.

Transport and logistics connectivity will be central to discussions, with improved movement of goods expected to reduce costs, strengthen competitiveness and improve supply reliability for consumers.

The forum will also explore regional value chains, cooperation between industrial and special economic zones, manufacturing, technology transfer and capital equipment.

For ordinary citizens, deeper integration could bring greater investment, new businesses, skills development and employment opportunities. Stronger agricultural and manufacturing partnerships could also expand food processing, packaging and distribution, allowing more value to be retained within the region.

The BNC provides an important institutional framework for this cooperation. Established in 2015, it covers political, economic and social relations and enables both governments to address practical barriers while strengthening their longstanding relationship.

South Africa’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, says the forum demonstrates the commitment of both governments to increasing bilateral trade, facilitating investment and fostering industrial cooperation.

He has also stressed that stronger partnerships between South African and Zimbabwean businesses can build resilient regional value chains and advance the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The bilateral initiative fits within the broader Southern African Development Community (SADC) integration agenda.

South Africa and Zimbabwe are both SADC members, and stronger cooperation between them can contribute to the regional bloc’s ambitions to increase intra-regional trade, investment, industrial production and employment.

For businesses, a more integrated regional market creates opportunities to specialise, expand production and achieve economies of scale. For workers and communities, it can support new industries and jobs.

The wider objective is an increasingly integrated African market under AfCFTA, which seeks to create a single market for goods and services and strengthen Africa’s position in global trade.

In practical terms, a Zimbabwean agricultural producer could become part of a South African processing and distribution chain, while a South African manufacturer could source inputs from Zimbabwe and reach customers across SADC and the wider African market.

That is how continental integration becomes tangible — through businesses, workers, infrastructure, technology and supply chains crossing borders.

The South Africa–Zimbabwe Business Forum is therefore more than a bilateral trade meeting. It is an opportunity to strengthen the BNC, advance SADC integration and contribute to AfCFTA implementation.

For Presidents Ramaphosa and Mnangagwa, it provides an opportunity to convert longstanding political and social ties into stronger economic cooperation.

For Tau and the dtic, it offers a platform to help businesses turn that commitment into investment and commercial partnerships.

For the people of South Africa and Zimbabwe, the potential benefits are greater investment, stronger businesses, improved connectivity, skills development and sustainable job creation.

– CAJ News