“A Nation is Built by Its Owners” — The President’s Call to Take Control of the Economy

In a sweeping address that blended urgency with optimism, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa officially opened the inaugural Zimbabwe Industrialisation Conference and Expo 2026 on Thursday, casting a defiant vision for a nation determined to move up the global value chain.

Speaking before a packed auditorium of government officials, regional leaders, captains of industry, and international partners, the Head of State anchored his remarks in hard data from the recently published State of Industry and 2027 Prospects Study — and in the Shona proverb that has become the defining motto of his Second Republic: “Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa, inonamatirwa nevene vayo” — a nation is built, led, and prayed for by its owners.

The message was unambiguous: Zimbabwe will no longer be a marketplace for other people’s finished goods.

The numbers, as presented by the President, tell a story of resilience. Industrial capacity utilisation surged to 61.2% in the first quarter of 2026, up from a stagnant 35% in 2019. Manufactured exports climbed from US$360 million to US$584 million over the same period. The manufacturing sector now accounts for 17% of GDP — a figure that the President praised as “phenomenal growth.”

Yet it was not a victory lap. President Mnangagwa was quick to point out that Zimbabwe still imports approximately US$2.5 billion worth of manufactured products that could, with sufficient industrial will, be produced on home soil. He turned directly to Minister of Industry and Commerce, Hon. N. M. Ndlovu, delivering a pointed directive in Shona: “Zvokwadi-Zvokwadi, nyika inevanhu vakadzidza semi, tinema innovation hubs nema industrial parks kuma University, nema skills akawanda-wanda munyika totenga zvinhu chero, kwete!” — “The truth is, we are a country with educated people, innovation hubs, industrial parks at universities, and abundant skills — yet we still buy everything? No!”

That line drew the room’s sharpest applause, and it captured the central tension of the address: Zimbabwe possesses the ingredients for industrialisation — skilled citizens, strategic minerals, favourable geography, and resilient infrastructure — but must now summon the discipline to convert them into finished products.

The President was at his most uncompromising when addressing the mining and mineral value chain. His policy stance, he made clear, is “unequivocal”: national resources must be processed and beneficiated locally. The much-criticised “horse and rider” model of economic cooperation — where Zimbabwe provides raw materials and foreign partners capture the lion’s share of profits — is, in his words, unacceptable.

Iron and steel, lithium, cement, pharmaceuticals, tobacco, leather, cotton, fertilizers, dairy, oilseed processing, sugar, grains, logistics, and packaging were all singled out as sectors demanding immediate attention. “The need to scale-up beneficiation, value addition, manufacturing and export of processed materials is now urgent,” the President declared, urging stakeholders to move with agility.

Under the Second Republic, he noted, industrial innovation must translate into stronger domestic value chains, supplier development programmes, industrial clusters, and local procurement initiatives that deepen backward and forward linkages. The goal is not merely import substitution, but the creation of new economic drivers — high-value exports, regional integration, and export diversification.

No discussion of Zimbabwe’s industrial future would be complete without addressing Small and Medium Enterprises. President Mnangagwa described SMEs as “essential pillars” in the Industrial Transformation Roadmap and Implementation Framework. He noted with satisfaction that following the recent Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Indaba, entities achieving turnovers of US$3 million and above had been formally transferred to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce for targeted support.

Read: Zimbabwe Agricultural Society Projects Biggest Show in 131 Years

He called for a holistic approach — integrating SMEs into formal value chains and expanding their access to finance, technology, and markets — with a particular emphasis on empowering youth and women entrepreneurs.

The President commended local firms for deploying appropriate technology upgrades, including artificial intelligence, to improve production efficiencies. “This reflects the growing commitment by industry players to continuous improvement and innovation,” he said, before pivoting to what may be the defining challenge of the era: sustainability.

“The future belongs to industries that are energy-efficient, environmentally-responsible and climate-resilient,” President Mnangagwa stated. “Green industrialisation, therefore, presents Zimbabwe with an opportunity to build competitive industries, while preserving our natural heritage for future generations.”

Zimbabwe is not an island, the President reminded his audience. He reaffirmed the country’s commitment to protocols and instruments at both continental and regional levels, highlighting Zimbabwe’s role as host of the official Southern African Hub and Headquarters of the Intra-African Trade Fair Company, as well as the Afreximbank Africa Trade Centre (AATC) in Harare.

“Increasing trade within SADC, COMESA and the African Continental Free Trade Area is an obligation that should be given priority,” he said — a statement that positions Zimbabwe not merely as a participant in African trade, but as a convening force.

In his closing remarks, President Mnangagwa made clear that government policy alone will not suffice. What is needed, he argued, is a “Whole of Industry and Society Approach” — a collective mobilisation where industry invests and innovates, financial institutions provide affordable capital, and academia ensures that the knowledge and skills pipeline remains relevant.

He noted that institutional reforms are underway, anchored in a national mindset of stewardship, productivity, innovation, discipline, and sustainability. Modern infrastructure, stable energy supply, efficient transport, reliable logistics, digital connectivity, and secure water supplies — all fundamental prerequisites — are being incrementally addressed, with tangible benefits beginning to accrue.

“The future of our nation is bright,” the President assured. “Be assured of policy certainty and an enabling environment for business diversification and growth.”

With those words, he officially declared the Zimbabwe Industrialisation Conference and Expo 2026 open — and left the room with a clear mandate for every stakeholder present: build, invest, innovate, and believe that the nation’s industrial renaissance is not a distant dream, but a present and achievable reality.