Ghana’s export promotion body and its Zimbabwean counterpart have formalised a cooperation agreement aimed at unlocking intra-African trade between the two countries, as data reveals the current bilateral trade relationship is barely visible on either nation’s export ledger.
The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) and ZimTrade signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the state visit of Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa to Accra in early April, with GEPA’s Chief Executive Officer Francis Kojo Kwarteng Arthur signing on behalf of the Ghanaian side. The agreement was one of a broader package of cooperation deals concluded during the visit.
Data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity show just how much ground the two countries have to cover, with Ghana exporting goods worth approximately $378,000 to Zimbabwe in 2024, while Zimbabwe’s exports to Ghana totalled under $9,000.
Under the MoU, GEPA and ZimTrade will work to enhance trade information exchange and facilitate business-to-business connections, with a particular focus on helping small and medium-sized enterprises become more competitive and market-ready in each other’s economies. The agreement also provides for joint participation in trade fairs and business forums and targeted capacity-building initiatives to improve export readiness on both sides.
ZimTrade Chief Executive Officer Allan Majuru described the agreement as a structured mechanism to address information gaps and create pathways for businesses to access each other’s markets, saying that the Ghana-Zimbabwe Business Roundtable held alongside the visit had already generated interest from the Ghanaian private sector in partnering with Zimbabwean businesses.
President Mahama, speaking after the signing ceremony, said Ghana’s strategic position within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Zimbabwe’s within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) presented a unique opportunity to strengthen linkages between West and Southern Africa. He also reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to promoting economic integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), of which Accra is the secretariat host.
President Mnangagwa stressed that the true value of the agreements lay in swift and effective implementation, urging ministers and officials to ensure the speedy operationalisation of all programmes.
