Africa needs to stop selling raw materials abroad and start making finished products at home, Zimbabwe Vice President Kembo Mohadi told people at a business meeting yesterday. He spoke at the Connect Africa Symposium during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo. African countries must change from selling resources to making valuable goods through manufacturing and technology, he said. The meeting focused on making Africa stronger through industry and working together across borders. Government officials, experts, and business leaders attended the event.
African nations have long depended on selling minerals, tobacco, and farm products without adding value first. This practice costs local jobs and economic growth opportunities. Recent plans like Agenda 2063 from the African Union aim to change this pattern through industrial growth across the continent. The African Continental Free Trade Area, created in 2021, helps remove trade barriers between countries. This agreement connects more than 1.4 billion people in a single market across Africa. These steps show progress toward economic independence.
Selling raw materials without processing them leaves African economies at risk when global prices change suddenly. Mohadi stressed that Africa must process minerals, develop food production systems, build renewable energy projects, and create digital solutions. These steps would help countries earn more money from their resources and create jobs for local people. Moving toward making finished products would reduce how much African nations depend on other countries. Building strong connections between African businesses stands as a key part of this new approach.
African nations have long depended on selling minerals, tobacco, and farm products without adding value first. This practice costs local jobs and economic growth opportunities. Recent plans like Agenda 2063 from the African Union aim to change this pattern through industrial growth across the continent. The African Continental Free Trade Area, created in 2021, helps remove trade barriers between countries. This agreement connects more than 1.4 billion people in a single market across Africa. These steps show progress toward economic independence.
Selling raw materials without processing them leaves African economies at risk when global prices change suddenly. Mohadi stressed that Africa must process minerals, develop food production systems, build renewable energy projects, and create digital solutions. These steps would help countries earn more money from their resources and create jobs for local people. Moving toward making finished products would reduce how much African nations depend on other countries. Building strong connections between African businesses stands as a key part of this new approach.
