By Munyaradzi Hwengwere – Buy Zimbabwe Chairman
Just after Nelson Mandela was released from prison and became the first democratically elected president of post-apartheid South Africa, he slapped Zimbabwe’s textile industry with a 64 percent tariff. The reason was simple. South Africa could not allow Zimbabwe, and Bulawayo in particular, to decimate its local clothing industry.
Years later, when blue and brown varieties of asbestos were banned globally, Turnall Zimbabwe became the sole supplier of World Health Organisation-approved asbestos sheets because, unlike South Africa’s variety, ours is not carcinogenic when used safely. Group Five had, within its ranks, Everite, which had ventured into alternative fibres. Unfortunately, these alternative asbestos sheets were far inferior to Zimbabwe’s chrysotile sheets. The company mounted an aggressive campaign that, in time, led to a ban on Zimbabwean asbestos sheets in that country. That decision, in many ways, led to the closure of Shabanie Mashaba Mines and the loss of over 5000 direct jobs. Were it not for Mimosa Mining Company, whose production picked up at the right moment, the booming Zvishavane of today would long have been reduced to a ghost town. Official estimates are that over 20000 people were thrown into poverty by that South African decision.
Most recently, Zimbabwe has begun producing world-class steel products at Manhize. South African steel manufacturers are lobbying their government to impose punitive tariffs on Zimbabwean steel.
This is just a small glimpse into South African trade practices. The Shona have a phrase for it: ‘Dindigwe rinonakidzwa kana richikweva rimwe asi iro rokwehwa roti mavara angu azara ivhu. “A cheetah enjoys pulling another, but when it gets pulled, it cries- my spots are getting dirty.’”
The question is: shouldn’t what is good for the goose surely be good for the gander?
Not for South Africa. For years, Zimbabwe has been recording successive trade deficits with South Africa. We import all manner of products from that country, including maize, wheat, soya beans, machinery, sweets, toothpicks, water, vegetables, and samosas. We even seem proud to do so. Zimbabwe has even established advocacy groups that defend her right to import from South Africa.
In 2025, Zimbabwe enacted Statutory Instrument 87 of 2025, which seeks to ensure that the import of South African grains does not affect the local farming industry. Among the active lobbyists opposing the instrument are local organisations that call the move unconstitutional. The South African Minister of Agriculture has even written to protest Zimbabwe’s decision, which, in his view, not only violates SADC regional trade protocols but also affects regional trade.
South Africa will go to the ends of the earth to protect local jobs, but will be the first to cry foul when other African countries, in particular, do the same. This mindset has now infiltrated its population, who blame all things bad in their country on so-called illegal immigrants. They have resorted to denigrating, beating, and even killing immigrants.
The solution is simple. Zimbabwe, like most of Africa, must claim its respect from South Africa. The starting point is taking measures to balance trade. We must review our trade statistics and remove from our imports all items we can produce locally. Zimbabwe must be firm with its SI 87 of 2025. Whenever there is a local product or the conditions to produce it locally, firm penalties must be imposed on those who seek to import.
There is definitely something wrong with the way Africa, Zimbabwe included, approaches trade. There seems to be a mindset that consumerism, rather than a production mindset, must lead. Where do consumers find the money to purchase goods and services when they have no production base? Even mining, which has been booming, is allowed to import most of the consumables. In Zimbabwe, it is estimated that, out of the total order bill of close to USD 3 billion, the component goods made in Zimbabwe account for under 15 percent, a measly USD 450 million.
When the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development became frustrated with lithium producers who treated the country as a mere source of raw materials without adding value, it imposed a ban on concentrate exports. This led to a 6 percent increase in prices the following day. Companies responded by planning to establish value-addition facilities, resulting in new jobs and increased value creation. The clear lesson: sound trade policies drive opportunities.
The best response to South Africa’s persistent trade policy and recent xenophobic eruptions is simple. Change the rules of trade. This is our opportunity to create jobs, build local wealth, and demand our pride.
