Port Louis / Harare, August 21, 2026. The Mauritius-Zimbabwe Business Forum, held August 18–22 in Mauritius, concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC). More than 100 B2B meetings brought together some 30 Zimbabwean delegates and 50 Mauritian business operators.
Beyond import-export: producing for Africa
Industry Minister Aadil Ameer Meea set an ambitious tone: «This is no longer just about importing and exporting between the two countries — it is about collaborating to produce and export across the entire African continent.» The goal is to establish regional value chains, embedding both economies into continental production platforms.
Priority sectors identified include financial services, agro-industry, manufacturing, renewable energy, green technology, real estate, tourism, ICT and pharmaceuticals. Junior Minister for Foreign Affairs Rajen Narsinghen also flagged the Mauritius-India-Zimbabwe axis as a potential gateway to the Indian market.
The MCCI-ZNCC MoU: an operational framework
Signed on August 19, 2026, the protocol between the two chambers formalises business connections and aims to turn discussions into concrete commercial projects. ZNCC President Josephine Takundwa and outgoing MCCI President Charles Harel co-signed the agreement, which establishes permanent matchmaking mechanisms between entrepreneurs from both countries.
Why it matters
Mauritius is repositioning its Africa strategy: no longer just a financial platform, but an industrial partner capable of co-producing with complementary continental economies. Zimbabwe, endowed with significant mineral resources and a skilled workforce, is an ideal partner in this logic. While bilateral trade remains modest today, the momentum generated by this forum could transform the Mauritius-Southern Africa corridor into a structural axis for the decade ahead.
Sources: Le Mauricien (August 21, 2026), Eco Austral (August 19, 2026).