President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared an end to Zimbabwe’s dependence on imported manufactured goods, calling for accelerated industrialisation, value addition and regional trade as the country positions itself to become a competitive manufacturing hub under Vision 2030.
Officially opening the inaugural *Zimbabwe Industrialisation Conference and Expo 2026* in Harare on Thursday, President Mnangagwa challenged industry, investors and development partners to transform Zimbabwe’s abundant natural resources into finished products, saying the country could no longer afford to import goods that can be manufactured locally.
The President said industrialisation remains the cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s economic transformation and urged stakeholders to strengthen regional value chains, innovation and trade to unlock sustainable growth.
Backing his call with figures from the *State of Industry and 2027 Prospects Study*, President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe’s industrial sector has demonstrated remarkable resilience over the past seven years.
Industrial capacity utilisation has increased to *61.2 percent* in the first quarter of 2026, compared to *35 percent in 2019, while manufactured exports have risen from **US$360 million to US$584 million. Manufacturing now contributes **17 percent* of Zimbabwe’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Despite the gains, the President said Zimbabwe continues to import approximately *US$2.5 billion* worth of manufactured products every year that could be produced locally.
Addressing Minister of Industry and Commerce Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu during his speech, President Mnangagwa questioned why a country endowed with skilled professionals, innovation hubs and industrial parks continued to rely heavily on imports.
”We have educated people, innovation hubs, industrial parks at our universities and abundant skills in this country. Yet we continue buying everything. No! This must change.”
The remarks drew applause from delegates attending the conference and underscored the administration’s renewed push for domestic production.
“The need to scale up beneficiation, value addition, manufacturing and export of processed materials is now urgent,” the President said.
He identified sectors including *iron and steel, lithium, cement, pharmaceuticals, tobacco, leather, cotton, fertilisers, dairy processing, oilseeds, sugar, grains, logistics and packaging* as key industries requiring accelerated investment and expansion.
President Mnangagwa stressed that Zimbabwe’s industrialisation agenda should extend beyond import substitution to embrace high-value exports, regional integration and expanded trade under the *Southern African Development Community (SADC), the **Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)* and the *African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)*.
He said his administration would continue implementing institutional reforms, improving the investment climate and mobilising both domestic and international capital to support productive sectors of the economy.
The President also highlighted ongoing investments in modern infrastructure, stable energy supply, transport networks, logistics, digital connectivity and water security as critical enablers of industrial competitiveness.
President Mnangagwa challenged manufacturers to embrace innovation and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, while reiterating that Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth must be processed locally.
“Our policy stance is unequivocal. National resources must be processed and beneficiated for the realisation of maximum economic returns that benefit all our people,” he said.
He also described *Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)* as essential pillars of Zimbabwe’s industrial transformation, calling for greater access to finance, technology and markets to integrate the sector into formal value chains and create more opportunities for youth and women entrepreneurs.
President Mnangagwa reaffirmed policy certainty and an enabling business environment, urging industry, financial institutions, academia and development partners to adopt what he termed a *”Whole of Industry and Society Approach”* to accelerate Zimbabwe’s industrial transformation.
Meanwhile, during the conference’s plenary session, *Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube* announced that Zimbabwe has officially joined the *New Development Bank (NDB), commonly known as the **BRICS Bank*.
The development gives Zimbabwe access to development finance, strengthens economic cooperation with BRICS member states and provides the country with a stronger voice in global development financing and economic decision-making.
Also addressing delegates, *Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Professor Amon Murwira* said Zimbabwe had made significant progress towards establishing fully digitalised, non-stop border posts aimed at facilitating regional trade.
Professor Murwira said consultations with *Zambia, Botswana and Mozambique* had been completed, while engagements with *South Africa* are scheduled for next month.
He said the initiative would reduce border delays, improve the ease of doing business and reinforce Zimbabwe’s investment appeal under the national mantra, *”Zimbabwe is Open for Business.”*
The conference brings together policymakers, business leaders, investors and regional institutions to explore strategies for accelerating industrialisation through regional value chains, innovation and trade, with the aim of positioning Zimbabwe as a competitive manufacturing and investment destination in Africa.