Introduction
Changing the longstanding narrative of Africa, as a region that is lagging in intra-regional trade, has become a top priority for the continent’s Heads of State and Government. This commitment was first expressed through their 2012 Decision to “Boost intra-African trade” and was reaffirmed in June 2015, during the 25th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Johannesburg, where it was agreed for the historic step to be taken to launch negotiations towards the creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The ECA Subregional Office for Southern Africa (SRO-SA), in collaboration with the ECA Africa Trade Policy Centre, and under the aegis of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and SME development, will be organising two national workshops (in Harare and Bulawayo), targeted mainly at Zimbabwean SMEs in order to train them on the AfCFTA and on how to unlock opportunities from the AfCFTA.
The national workshops will be supported by resource persons from other development partners including SADC Secretariat, COMESA secretariat and the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Members of the public sector in Zimbabwe will also be invited, in order to stimulate public-private sector dialogue on the state of play of the AfCFTA in Zimbabwe, on the challenges in implementing the AfCFTA Agreement, and on the challenges faced by the private sector in Zimbabwe to trade across borders, with an aim of delineating targeted support towards the SMEs and understanding the role of various State actors.
These two workshops form part of a subregional capacity building programme on the AfCFTA for the private sector in Southern Africa that ECA SRO-SA is rolling out, with support from ECA ATPC and funding from DANIDA. The workshops also intend to meet an official request for technical and financial support that the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and SME development had addressed to the ECA SRO-SA in February 2025.
Objectives
The two national workshops will pursue the following main objectives:
- Assess the level of AfCFTA implementation in Zimbabwe and challenges in implementation.
- Strengthen the capacities of public and private sector stakeholders, particularly small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Zimbabwe, in understanding and applying the operational instruments and protocols of the AfCFTA.
- Enhance understanding among government officials and private sector actors of the AfCFTA implementation instruments: Rules of Origin, E-Tariff Book, Non-Tariff Barrier (NTB) Notification Tools, and PAPSS.
- Sensitize SMEs on the market opportunities, benefits, and challenges of the AfCFTA, and provide guidance on how to leverage these benefits.
- Unpack for SMEs the Protocol on Digital trade and create awareness on the role that e-commerce can play in boosting their market access opportunities
- Facilitate the dissemination of information and knowledge related to the AfCFTA agreement and its operational instruments, enabling SMEs to meet regulatory and normative requirements.
Expected outcomes
- Enhanced knowledge of the state of implementation of AfCFTA among public and private stakeholders.
- Strengthened capacities by public and private stakeholders to implement the national AfCFTA strategy.
- Improved private sector understanding and knowledge of the agreement, and its protocols, and operational aspects including the AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative.
- Increased capacity of SMEsto implement the provisions of the AfCFTA and use related tools (Rules of Origin, online platform for NTB reduction and elimination, e-tariff book, etc.).
- Enhanced awareness of market access opportunities available under the AfCFTA for Zimbabwean SMEs.
- Strengthened capacities by SMEs in Zimbabwe to leverage e-commerce and digital trade in the context of the AfCFTA.
- Development of best practices and recommendations for the private sector in the context of the AfCFTA.
Expected outputs:
The expected results of the workshop are:
- 2 Workshops in Harare and Bulawayo
- 20 Government Officials capacitated on AfCFTA
- 100 SMEs sensitized on AfCFTA
Date and venue:
- 25-26 August, Rainbow Towers Hotel, Harare, Zimbabwe.
- 28-29 August, Rainbow Towers Hotel, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
Participants:
The national workshops are expected to bring together approximately 60 participants, including government representatives and at least 45 SMEs
The national workshops will be only in-person and will consist of technical presentations followed by Questions & Answers sessions
Contacts:
Ms. Beauty Razemba - Deputy Director, Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperatives Development, Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and SME Development, Republic of Zimbabwe
Email: beautyraz3@gmail.com
Ms. Bineswaree Bolaky – Economic Affairs Officer and Gender Focal Point, Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Sub Regional Office for Southern Africa (SRO-SA)
Email: bineswaree.bolaky@un.org
Media Contacts:
Ms Lavender Degre – Communications Officer
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Sub Regional Office for Southern Africa (SRO-SA)
Email: lavender.degre@un.org
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