SADC Hosts Annual Industrialisation Week in Zimbabwe
August 01, 2024
By Wallace Mawire
The SADC Secretariat, in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe, the SADC Business Council, and the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), have hosted the 7th Annual SADC Industrialisation Week (SIW) from 28 July to 2 August 2024 in Harare, Zimbabwe.
The event was held in Harare,Zimbabwe under the theme “Promoting Innovation to Unlock Opportunities for Sustainable Economic Growth and Development Towards an Industrialised SADC.”
The SADC Industrialisation Week is the largest public-private platform and consultative body for industrialisation in the SADC region.
It provides an annual forum for SADC Member States, the private sector, international partners, policymakers, researchers, SMEs, financial institutions, and civil society to share experiences and strategies for driving industrialisation and economic transformation.
The week-long event featured seminars, meetings, workshops, a gala dinner, exhibitions and site visits to selected manufacturing facilities and industrial hubs in Zimbabwe.
Key focus areas included mineral beneficiation, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure development, women and youth entrepreneurship, and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) enterprises.
Dr. Johansein Rutaihwa, Senior Officer of Industrialisation and Competitiveness at the SADC Secretariat, emphasized the pivotal role of the SIW Declarations from past events in driving regional industrialisation.
“These declarations outline a clear roadmap for accelerating industrialisation through strategic infrastructure investments, addressing non-tariff barriers, harmonising policies, and fostering a business-friendly environment. This year’s event will build on that momentum with substantive dialogue and concrete action plans,” he said. Mr. Peter Varndell, Executive Secretary of the SADC Business Council, noted, “The 7th SIW presents a crucial opportunity for the public and private sectors to collaborate on policies and strategies that promote innovation driven industrialisation across SADC. Innovation underpins sustainable economic growth and is vital for unlocking the region’s industrial potential.”
The annual event aims to intensify multi-stakeholder engagement in implementing the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap 2015-2063, focusing on reviewing progress and challenges in executing the strategy, as well as sharing success stories and solutions for developing robust regional value chains across priority sectors within the SADC region.
Ms. Sekai Kuvarika, Chief Executive Officer of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), stated, “The SADC Industrialisation agenda is not just a policy but a blueprint for building robust enterprises across the region. The business community stands ready to champion the strategies that will ignite entrepreneurship and attract investment to bring this vision to life. We are committed to driving private sector-led industrialisation and transforming the regional economy.”
The 2024 edition follows successful SIWs hosted by the Kingdom of Eswatini, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Namibia, Republic of South Africa, and United Republic of Tanzania since its inception in 2016.
