By Archford Chirimudombo
Harare, (New Ziana) – The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Green Industry Connect, scheduled for Monday next week, is expected to boost the development of competitive, sustainable and circular value chains across the leather, textiles, plastics and electronic waste (e-waste) sectors in Eastern and Southern Africa.
According to the organisers, governments, industry players, investors, development partners and circular economy (zero waste) practitioners are expected to attend the event to discuss opportunities and challenges in the targeted sectors, while promoting collaboration and investment in sustainable industrial development.
The circular economy is a new and inclusive economic paradigm that aims to minimize pollution and waste, extend product lifecycles, and enable broad sharing of physical and natural assets. It strives for a competitive economy that creates green and decent jobs and keeps resource use within planetary boundaries.
Organisers said the forum would showcase best practices in circular economy technologies, innovative business models and solutions for leather and textile production, plastics management and e-waste recovery.
It will also facilitate direct business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) engagements among COMESA producers, international buyers, investors and technology suppliers.
The initiative is also expected to encourage the adoption of sustainable production methods, including resource-efficient manufacturing and environmentally responsible supply chain management. Participants will explore available financing mechanisms to support investment in circular businesses across the targeted sectors.
In addition, the meeting will provide a platform for policy discussions on enabling frameworks, covering quality standards, extended producer responsibility, environmental regulations and inclusive approaches that support women, young people and informal-sector participants.
The discussions are expected to produce concrete recommendations for inclusion in the COMESA Business Declaration, which will be presented at the 25th COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit.
“The Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI) anchors the leather and textiles agenda, contributing technical expertise across COMESA’s tanning, footwear, and garment value chains. The SWITCH to Circular Economy in Eastern and Southern Africa (SWITCH-2-CE in ESA) Programme, supported by the European Union, launched in Lusaka in April 2026 and implemented across thirteen pilot countries, supports the plastics and e-waste value chains and lends the Forum a wider Eastern and Southern Africa platform for policy dialogue.
“The COMESA Green Industry Connect is anchored within a robust set of regional and global priorities, including the COMESA Industrialisation Strategy which focuses on value addition, agro-industrial upgrading, and green industrial development; the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on strengthening intra-African value chains in leather, textiles, plastics, and electronics; the SWITCH-2-CE Programme which is on translating circular economy objectives into private sector engagement and investment; the AU Agenda 2063 and the AU Circular Economy Action Plan,” the organisers said.
The forum is expected to deepen stakeholders’ understanding of circular economy opportunities, competitive business strategies and financing options across the leather, textiles, plastics and e-waste sectors.
It is also anticipated to raise the profile of COMESA-based leather, textile and circular economy enterprises, potentially expanding their access to regional and international markets, investors and strategic business partners.
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