By Tatenda Vimbe
London, United Kingdom – 10 March 2026 — Twelve Zimbabwean women entrepreneurs in the essential oils and beauty products sector are in the United Kingdom for a four-day trade mission aimed at securing export opportunities and strengthening commercial ties with British businesses.
The mission, running from 9 to 12 March, is being conducted under the SheTrades Commonwealth+ (STC+) Programme and includes business-to-business (B2B) meetings and company visits in London, Bradford and Manchester. The programme is funded by the British Embassy in Harare and implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) in partnership with ZimTrade and the Embassy of Zimbabwe in London.
Officials said the visit is designed to position Zimbabwean products within the UK’s competitive beauty and wellness market while promoting value addition of locally sourced natural resources.
Speaking at a roundtable held at Zimbabwe House in London to mark the start of the mission, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the UK, H.E. Col. (Retired) Christian Katsande, said the initiative reflects growing economic cooperation between the two countries and the increasing role of women in international trade.
The roundtable brought together Zimbabwean entrepreneurs, UK-based businesses and diplomats to discuss market access opportunities and challenges facing women-led enterprises.
Dr. Judith Fessehaie, Head of the SheTrades Initiative at ITC, said the programme is focused on improving women’s participation in global trade through targeted interventions, including market access support, capacity building and policy engagement.
The delegation is showcasing a range of products derived from natural ingredients indigenous to Southern Africa, including essential and botanical oils such as baobab, mongongo, mafura and zumbani. UK buyers attending a mini-exhibition and networking session were given an opportunity to sample the products and explore potential supply partnerships.
During the visit, the entrepreneurs are also engaging with key players across the UK beauty value chain, including manufacturers, testing laboratories, distributors and e-commerce platforms. These engagements are expected to provide insights into regulatory requirements, quality standards and consumer preferences in the UK market.
Organisers said the mission is part of broader efforts to promote export-led growth and enhance the competitiveness of Zimbabwean women-led businesses in international markets.
The trade mission comes ahead of the launch of the SheTrades Zimbabwe Hub, scheduled for 20 March in Harare. The hub, to be hosted by ZimTrade, will provide ongoing support to women entrepreneurs seeking to access regional and global markets.
The SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme in Zimbabwe targets women-led businesses in the essential oils and beauty sectors, with a focus on increasing export volumes and improving product quality to meet international standards.
ZimTrade, Zimbabwe’s national trade development and promotion organisation, is working with partners to facilitate export growth by providing technical support, market intelligence and business development services to local companies.
