Zim Now Business Desk

Industry and Commerce Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu says Government plans to establish a dedicated taskforce to help Zimbabwean manufacturers enter the Chinese market and take advantage of China’s zero-tariff access offer to African countries.

Speaking at the Manufacturing Sector Review and launch of the CZI Annual Manufacturing Sector Survey 2025 in Harare on June 18, Ndlovu said China’s offer presents a major opportunity for local exporters.

“China’s decision to extend a Zero-Tariff Policy to African countries, including Zimbabwe, presents a significant opportunity for our exporters,” he said.

“To fully leverage this preferential market access, I intend to establish a dedicated taskforce comprising industrialists, private sector representatives, and relevant Government agencies, working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.”

Ndlovu said the taskforce will be mandated to “develop a coherent and comprehensive strategy for penetrating the Chinese market and maximising the benefits arising from this initiative.”

The proposed taskforce is expected to help identify export-ready products, support firms with capacity, address standards and certification requirements, and connect manufacturers to logistics, finance and market intelligence.

The push comes at a time when Zimbabwe’s trade relationship with China remains heavily tilted towards imports.

“Given the current trade imbalance, where Zimbabwe imports substantial volumes of finished manufactured products from China, we must strategically position ourselves to increase exports of value-added and manufactured goods into that market,” Ndlovu said.

The China export plan fits into Government’s wider industrialisation agenda under the National Development Strategy 2 and the Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Policy 2, covering 2026 to 2030.

Ndlovu said Zimbabwe must move away from exporting raw materials and focus on producing finished and semi-finished goods for regional and global markets.

“The era of exporting jobs through the export of raw materials must come to an end. Our future lies in value addition, beneficiation, and the development of globally competitive industries,” he said.

The Minister said China’s role in Zimbabwe’s industrialisation agenda is not limited to market access.

He said Chinese enterprises have already made significant investments in iron and steel, cement, tiles, thermal power generation, energy, fertiliser production, mining and infrastructure development.

“These investments are highly commendable as they are contributing meaningfully to the industrialisation, economic resurgence, and employment creation efforts of our country,” Ndlovu said.

He also commended CZI for inviting the Zimbabwe Chinese Business Association to participate in the manufacturing review, saying he hoped it would mark “the beginning of an enduring and mutually beneficial partnership.”

He said such collaboration is important for strengthening business linkages, expanding investment opportunities and ensuring that “the significant contribution of Chinese enterprises to our economy is more fully recognised, documented, and reflected in our economic data and analysis.”

The larger message from Ndlovu was that Zimbabwe must produce more of what it consumes and export more of what it produces.