Business forum to showcase bilateral economic agenda
Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa are scheduled to address the South Africa–Zimbabwe Business Forum in Johannesburg on Friday, an event aimed at translating political commitments into practical trade and investment opportunities. The forum, hosted by South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry and Competition alongside the Bi-National Commission (BNC), will take place at the Gallagher Convention Centre.
According to the South African Presidency, South African exports to Zimbabwe were valued at about US$4.3 billion in 2025, underscoring the strength of existing commercial ties. The focus now, however, is on moving beyond trade in finished products towards greater cooperation in manufacturing, investment, technology, logistics and production.
The forum will explore regional value chains, cooperation between industrial and special economic zones, manufacturing, technology transfer and capital equipment. 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.
South Africa’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, said the forum demonstrates the commitment of both governments to increasing bilateral trade and facilitating investment. The initiative fits within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) integration agenda, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which seeks to create a single market for goods and services.
The forum is seen as an opportunity to strengthen the BNC, advance SADC integration and contribute to AfCFTA implementation. 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.
Infrastructure integration at the forefront
Ahead of the business forum, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola called for deeper infrastructure integration between South Africa and Zimbabwe, saying improved road, rail and border systems would strengthen trade and the movement of goods across the region.
Lamola was speaking in Pretoria on Thursday at the ministerial meeting of the Fourth South Africa-Zimbabwe Bi-National Commission, ahead of the heads-of-state session between the two presidents scheduled for Friday. The BNC is reviewing progress on commitments made between the two countries and identifying areas in which bilateral cooperation can be expanded. The previous heads-of-state session of the commission was held in Harare in March 2019.
“We should use this shared geographical and economic advantage to deepen cooperation along the corridor, including through modernisation and expansion of road and rail infrastructure — the improvement of border management systems, the development of logistics facilities and strengthening of connectivity with ports and regional markets,” Lamola said.
He also called for cooperation beyond transport, including in water resource management and water security, as well as digital connectivity. “Infrastructure connectivity must also extend beyond transport. We should strengthen cooperation in water resource management and water security, including infrastructure that supports reliable access to water for communities, agriculture and industry. We should also explore opportunities to improve digital connectivity.”
The two countries share extensive economic, political and social ties, with agriculture, trade, infrastructure, migration and regional development among the issues being considered through the BNC. Lamola highlighted the historical “bonds” formed through their respective liberation struggles, saying that history continued to underpin relations between Pretoria and Harare.
Trade figures and people-to-people links
Official trade data shows that South Africa was Zimbabwe’s second-largest export destination in 2025, while Zimbabwe was South Africa’s second-largest agricultural export market globally and its largest agricultural export destination in Africa. The strength of agricultural trade is partly linked to the countries’ proximity and similar consumer preferences.
People-to-people ties are also significant. Zimbabwe’s 2022 census recorded about 85% of its emigrants as living in South Africa, and South Africa’s 2022 census identified Zimbabweans as the country’s largest group of international migrants.
Perspectives
South African government
Minister Ronald Lamola emphasised the shared geographical and economic advantages, calling for modernisation of road and rail infrastructure, improved border management, and stronger connectivity with ports and regional markets. He also stressed the importance of cooperation in water security and digital connectivity, framing infrastructure as a driver of trade and regional integration.
Zimbabwean government
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Amon Murwira, said relations between the two countries should not be undermined by “external forces.” He stated, “We will resist any force, external or internal, overt or covert, done by hook or crook, that seeks to divide us. We are not going to be divided. Zimbabwe and SA are one people, it is not wishful thinking.”