Dr Mavis Sibanda
Harare, Zimbabwe — 25 November 2025
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) opened a two-day regional awareness workshop in Harare this Tuesday to discuss the findings of a study assessing options for including selected services sectors under the bloc’s Simplified Trade Regime (STR).
The meeting, running from 25–26 November at the Hyatt Regency Harare The Meikles, brought together government officials, trade experts and delegates from COMESA member states.
Speaking at the opening session, Zimbabwe’s Permanent Secretary for Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Dr Mavis Sibanda said the expansion of the STR to cover services marks a significant milestone in efforts to strengthen small-scale cross-border trade and deepen regional integration.
She commended the COMESA Secretariat for convening the workshop, which aims to prepare member states for the potential implementation of service-sector provisions under the STR.
The Permanent Secretary highlighted that small-scale cross-border trade accounts for an estimated 40 percent of intra-COMESA trade, with women representing up to 80 percent of participants.
She noted that since its introduction in 2010, the STR has reduced costs, simplified customs procedures and improved the flow of goods for small-scale traders, contributing to poverty reduction and economic empowerment across the region.
Delegates at the workshop are reviewing proposals to extend similar facilitation measures to service providers—including in transport, ICT, tourism, repairs and financial support—allowing them to operate more easily across borders.
According to officials, broadening the STR to include services could help formalise informal service exchanges, expand market access, build regional value chains and increase incomes for women and youth engaged in cross-border economic activities.
The study under review outlines practical options for integrating services into the STR framework and identifies regulatory, administrative and institutional adjustments needed within member states. Participants are expected to refine these recommendations and shape an implementation roadmap.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary urged member states to “embrace this opportunity for change” and collaborate in creating an inclusive trading environment that supports small-scale traders and service providers.
She called on delegates to use the workshop to generate actionable solutions that will enhance trade facilitation and drive inclusive economic growth in the COMESA region.
The workshop also has technical sessions and stakeholder discussions intended to guide the bloc’s next steps toward expanding the STR’s scope.
