The Zimbabwe Industrialisation Conference and Expo 2026 kicks off on Thursday, bringing together policymakers, investors, and industry executives to formulate actionable solutions for the country’s industrial sector.

The high-level event, scheduled for July 23 to 24 at the Harare International Conference Centre, is organised by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in partnership with development think-tank Africa Economic Development Strategies (AEDS) and ZimTrade.

The event comes at a time when the country is witnessing industrial transformation, as evidenced by the establishment of new enterprises and retooling across various sectors of the economy, including iron and steel, food and beverages and mining.

AEDS executive director, Gift Mugano, confirmed that the two-day event is designed to be a practical deal-making platform rather than a traditional talk shop. He added that preparations for ZICE 2026 are progressing on course.

Mugano highlighted that ZICE 2026 will be private-sector-led, recognising businesses as the primary drivers of industrialisation.

“The primary objective of the Zimbabwe Industrialisation Conference and Expo is to move beyond dialogue to facilitate real investment deals, strengthen local value chains, and accelerate the country’s broader industrial transformation,” he said.

A central component of the conference’s agenda will focus on accelerating industrial policy implementation to drive the country’s Vision 2030 targets.

Deliberations will prioritise value chain development and localisation to reduce import reliance, alongside strategies to enhance export competitiveness and the African Continental Free Trade Area integration.

Delegates will also analyse the newly emerging iron and steel industrial ecosystem, a discussion highly relevant given the Manhize steel project and its potential to drive heavy industry downstream.

To ensure this growth benefits all sectors, sessions are designed to explore small- and medium-sized enterprises’ integration and inclusive industrialisation, alongside critical discussions surrounding industrial financing and investment mobilisation to unlock affordable, long-term capital for local companies.

Discussions will also address mineral beneficiation and resource-based industrialisation, seeking to scale up the domestic processing of strategic minerals.

These efforts will be tied to energy and infrastructure industrialisation as critical enablers for sustaining production.

Participants will discuss leveraging technology, innovation, and industrial upgrading to boost manufacturing efficiency, while balancing these advancements against global demands for sustainability and green industrialisation.

With over a thousand corporate leaders and hundreds of exhibitors registered to attend, ZICE 2026 aims to secure a robust pipeline of bankable investment projects to accelerate Zimbabwe’s economic transformation.