Turning Dialogue into Opportunity for women and youth-led enterprises: ECoWYERT Project at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair

April 26, 2026

Aerial view of a waterpark with pools, colorful slides, palm trees, and a tall central tower. — Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Center, Bulawayo

UNDP/Rejoice Emmanuel

The Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) remains one of Africa’s most important platforms for trade, investment and economic engagement. Held annually in Bulawayo, the Fair brings together policymakers, private sector leaders, development partners and entrepreneurs from across the continent and beyond. More than an exhibition, ZITF is a convening space where ideas are exchanged, partnerships are formed and strategies for economic growth and regional integration are shaped.

In the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), platforms like ZITF are increasingly critical. They provide an opportunity to translate continental ambitions into practical outcomes, particularly for young entrepreneurs and small businesses seeking to access new markets and scale their operations.

UNDP’s Role: Advancing Inclusive Trade Through ECoWYERT

At the 2026 edition of ZITF, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through the Enhancing Capacities of Women and Youth-Led Enterprises for Regional Trade (ECoWYERT) and other projects, played a central convening role on a number of platforms.

Implemented by UNDP in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, the ECoWYERT project is designed to address one of the most pressing development challenges across Africa; enabling women and youth-led enterprises to participate meaningfully in regional trade. By focusing on capacity building, access to finance and strengthening trade ecosystems, the project aims to unlock opportunities under AfCFTA while supporting job creation and economic resilience. This will be done together with co-implementing partners, the Trade and Development Fund (TDF), Better Than Cash Alliance (BTCA), the International Trade Centre (ITC), and the COMESA Federation of Women in Business (COMFWB).

At its core, ECoWYERT recognizes that awareness of opportunity is not enough. For young entrepreneurs to benefit from regional trade, they require the skills, networks and systems that allow them to move from potential to sustainable participation.

Africa Connect Symposium: From Dialogue to Action

A key highlight of ZITF 2026 was the Africa Connect Symposium, convened by the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) in partnership with ZITF, UNDP and other institutional partners.

UNDP in partnership with ZNCC, through the ECoWYERT project, provided a platform at the Symposium, for women and youth entrepreneurs to engage with policymakers, private sector, business support organisations and the wider trade ecosystem on key bottlenecks to their trade activities. Through this engagement, the project supported meaningful dialogue around trade integration, industrial competitiveness and the role of youth-led enterprises in driving economic transformation.

Importantly, the youth dialogue session was positioned as the opening panel discussion of the Symposium, placing women and youth-led enterprises at the centre of conversations on trade, industrialization and economic growth. The session created a rare opportunity for young entrepreneurs to directly engage policymakers and decision-makers on the realities of doing business, including access to finance, access to markets, cross-border trade barriers and the need for stronger support systems for emerging enterprises.

For many young entrepreneurs, this was the first time they had participated in a platform of this scale and directly interacted with policymakers shaping trade and enterprise policy.

Nigel Ruwona, Founder of Ona Natural Oils, highlighted how platforms such as ZITF create opportunities for young manufacturers to build regional networks and collaborations. “As a young manufacturer, being at a platform such as the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair allows me to interact with different markets and different individuals and different buyers from different countries. I also got to interact with my peers in the same industry who are coming from different countries. I got to interact with individuals from Botswana, I got to interact with other individuals from South Africa. This is a bigger platform that allowed me to realize that as a youth, we might be in different countries but we're all connected and we're also going through the same issues and if we're able to collaborate, we'll actually be able to conquer a lot more.”

“As a young manufacturer, being at a platform such as the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair allows me to interact with different markets and different individuals and different buyers from different countries. This is a bigger platform that allowed me to realize that as a youth, we might be in different countries but we're all connected and we're also going through the same issues and if we're able to collaborate, we'll actually be able to conquer a lot more.” - Nigel Ruwona

Photograph shows a man in a beige jacket writing at a conference table, with other attendees in the background. — Nigel Ruwona, Founder of Ona Natural Oils

UNDP

Zuva Mawema-Chipunza, Founder of Grounded, emphasized the value of direct engagement between young entrepreneurs and decision-makers. “I think it's important to have a platform like this because it allows us to have direct access to the policy makers, to hear what the youth and the women need and what our expectations are of them and what we give back in return.” The discussions reinforced the importance of ensuring that women and youth are not only included in conversations around AfCFTA and regional integration, but are actively shaping them.

Zuva Mawema-Chipunza, Founder of Grounded,

UNDP

Shaping the Conversation on Trade and Competitiveness

Across the Symposium, key leaders underscored the urgency of accelerating regional integration and strengthening Africa’s trade competitiveness.

Hon. Prof. Mthuli Ncube, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, emphasized the shifting global landscape and the need for Africa to respond strategically: “New global tariff structures require Africa to accelerate AfCFTA, remove trade barriers, and respond to global demand.” His remarks highlighted the importance of reducing dependency on external markets and strengthening intra-African trade as a pathway to resilience.

Similarly, Hon. Monica Mutsvangwa, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, called for a stronger focus on translating dialogue into tangible outcomes for entrepreneurs. She urged women entrepreneurs to actively leverage regional platforms such as COMESA, noting that these platforms are already delivering value across the region. She further emphasized that conversations must lead to real economic value for women and young people, ensuring that MSMEs fully benefit from AfCFTA.

At the highest level, the Vice President of Zimbabwe, Hon. Kembo Mohadi, reinforced the importance of inclusive economic participation. He highlighted the need to empower youth and women-led enterprises to fully engage in regional trade, noting that initiatives like ECoWYERT are critical in building pathways for young entrepreneurs to trade, grow, and contribute to Zimbabwe’s economic transformation.

Man in blue suit and pink tie speaks into a microphone on stage; orange flowers nearby.

Hon. Prof. Mthuli Ncube, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion

Hon. Monica Mutsvangwa, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development

Speaker in a suit at a podium with microphones during a conference.

the Vice President of Zimbabwe, Hon. Kembo Mohadi

UNDP’s Perspective: From Policy to Implementation

Speaking during the Symposium, UNDP Zimbabwe Resident Representative, Dr. Ayodele Odusola emphasized that industrialization and trade are central to achieving sustainable development outcomes.

He noted that women and youth-led enterprises must be intentionally integrated into Africa’s industrial and trade ecosystems through targeted financing, skills development and stronger market linkages. Dr. Odusola stressed that inclusive trade cannot be achieved if women and young entrepreneurs remain excluded from value chains, financing opportunities and regional markets.

He further highlighted that strengthening intra-African trade is not only an economic strategy, but also a pathway toward creating more resilient and inclusive economies that leave no one behind.

Dr. Odusola also highlighted UNDP’s role as a connector, bridging the gap between policy frameworks and implementation. By supporting governments, mobilizing finance and convening multi-stakeholder partnerships, UNDP works to ensure that strategies translate into real outcomes, particularly for MSMEs and youth-led enterprises.

Two men in suits on a panel stage with microphones, water bottles, and a flower arrangement. — UNDP Zimbabwe Resident Representative, Dr. Ayodele Odusola

UNDP

Driving Impact: Trade, Collaboration and Opportunity

Through its participation in ZITF and by convening the youth dialogue at the Africa Connect Symposium, the ECoWYERT project contributed to several key outcomes:

Amplifying the voice of women and youth in trade by providing a platform for women and youth-led enterprises to engage with policy makers and the wider ecosystem on trade ecosystem bottlenecks.

Promoting intra-African trade by strengthening engagement around AfCFTA opportunities.

Supporting industrial collaboration through dialogue between government, private sector, women and youth-led entrepreneurs, and development partners.

Expanding cross-border enterprise partnerships by connecting women and youth-led businesses to global and continental networks and opportunities.

Importantly, the event also delivered early, tangible impact. Young entrepreneurs were able to engage directly with policymakers, many for the first time, raising real challenges and contributing to conversations that shape business environments. These moments represent a critical step toward more inclusive and responsive policy-making.

The youth dialogue session was positioned as the opening panel discussion of the Symposium, placing women and youth-led enterprises at the centre of conversations on trade, industrialization and economic growth.

UNDP

Looking Ahead: Building Inclusive Trade Futures

The collaboration between UNDP, ZNCC, government and the private sector demonstrates what is possible when partnerships are aligned around shared goals. Looking ahead, initiatives like ECoWYERT will play a critical role in shaping the future of regional trade not only by supporting enterprise growth, but by contributing to job creation, economic resilience, and inclusive prosperity across the continent. Looking Ahead: Building Inclusive Trade Futures

As Zimbabwe continues to operationalize AfCFTA, the focus must move beyond policy frameworks to practical implementation ensuring that young people, women and those most at risk of being left behind, are equipped to participate and compete.