Kudzai Jakachira
The 25th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Summit of Heads of State and Government opened in Harare today, kicking off a four-day regional gathering aimed at dismantling trade barriers, mobilizing green capital, and accelerating industrial value addition across the 21-member trading bloc.
Running from October 19 to October 22, 2026, the high-level proceedings are being held across two major venues in the capital: the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) and the new Parliament Building in Mount Hampden. The summit brings together heads of state, cabinet ministers, central bank governors, and industrial leaders representing a combined regional market of over 600 million people.
Hosting this 25th edition marks a strategic diplomatic and economic milestone for Zimbabwe, which last hosted the regional summit in 2009 in Victoria Falls—the historic assembly where the COMESA Customs Union was officially launched. As part of the proceedings, Zimbabwe will formally assume the rotational chairmanship of the bloc for the 2026–2027 tenure, taking over leadership from Kenya to steer the region’s economic agenda over the next 12 months.
Opening the week’s itinerary at the HICC today, delegates convened for the COMESA Green Industries Connect forum alongside the official launch of the 19th COMESA Business Forum and Multisectoral International Exhibition. These parallel platforms focus on converting regional environmental policies into investable circular economy projects, expanding local manufacturing capacities, and de-risking cross-border private sector investments.
With intra-regional commerce historically lagging behind its potential, discussions throughout the four-day gathering will center on removing non-tariff trade barriers, operationalizing digital trade instruments—such as the electronic Certificate of Origin—and leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework to build resilient regional supply chains.
“From commitments to implementation, the 25th Summit will be an opportunity to turn regional ambition into greater economic opportunity, stronger value chains, increased investment, and a more integrated COMESA market,” the COMESA secretariat stated.
The summit schedule will progress through ministerial committee meetings and a high-level business leaders’ plenary, culminating in the official Assembly of Heads of State and Government on October 22, where regional leaders are expected to adopt key policy communiqués on industrialization, digital integration, and climate-resilient economic growth.
