# Zimbabwe Export Playbook for Africa

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> Yugalinks regional export playbook

Compare buyer markets, access conditions, and calculated product opportunities in Africa. Use this guide to prioritize research, not to treat calculated indicators as guaranteed sales.

## Navigation

- [Yugalinks home](https://www.yugalinks.com/)
- [Trade data](https://www.yugalinks.com/trade/)
- [Open country workspace](https://www.yugalinks.com/app/countries)
- [Data sources](https://www.yugalinks.com/data-sources)
- [Methodology](https://www.yugalinks.com/methodology)

## Overview

- Exporter: Zimbabwe (ZWE)
- Region: Africa
- Latest trade year: 2024
- Buyer markets: 9
- Calculated three-year opportunity: $51.3B
- Reported FTA markets: 8
- Average reported distance: 1,642 km
- Average business entry indicator: 26 days

## Market comparison

| Market | ISO3 | Opportunity | Products | FTA | Distance | Entry days | Top product |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | --- | ---: | ---: | --- |
| South Africa | ZAF | $28.3B | 26 | Reported | 2,186 km | 40 | Product not reported |
| Mozambique | MOZ | $10.3B | 7 | Reported | 919 km | 17 | Chromium ores and concentrates |
| United Rep. of Tanzania | TZA | $4.3B | 3 | Reported | 1,515 km | 30 | Product not reported |
| Kenya | KEN | $2.0B | 2 | Reported | 1,948 km | 23 | Product not reported |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | COD | $1.9B | 2 | Not reported | 0 km | 0 | Product not reported |
| Zambia | ZMB | $1.9B | 3 | Reported | 397 km | 9 | Copper ores and concentrates |
| Botswana | BWA | $1.2B | 1 | Reported | 936 km | 48 | Product not reported |
| Egypt | EGY | $1.0B | 1 | Reported | 5,329 km | 13 | Aircraft launching gear, deck-arrestor or similar gear and parts thereof |
| Namibia | NAM | $386.4M | 1 | Reported | 1,548 km | 54 | Copper ores and concentrates |

## Product and market opportunities

| Rank | Market | Product | Opportunity | Buyer growth | Current share |
| ---: | --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 1 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 271012 - Product description unavailable | $4.9B | +20.9% | +0.0% |
| 2 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 710812 - Metals: gold, non-monetary, unwrought (but not powder) | $3.6B | +17.8% | +0.0% |
| 3 | Mozambique (MOZ) | HS 261000 - Chromium ores and concentrates | $3.5B | +61.2% | +4.5% |
| 4 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 271019 - Product description unavailable | $3.1B | +18.1% | +0.0% |
| 5 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 270900 - Oils: petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude | $2.2B | +1.1% | +0.0% |
| 6 | Mozambique (MOZ) | HS 720241 - Ferro-alloys: ferro-chromium, containing by weight more than 4% of carbon | $2.1B | +23.2% | +0.7% |
| 7 | United Rep. of Tanzania (TZA) | HS 271019 - Product description unavailable | $2.0B | +18.2% | +0.0% |
| 8 | United Rep. of Tanzania (TZA) | HS 271012 - Product description unavailable | $1.9B | +27.8% | +0.0% |
| 9 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 851712 - Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks | $1.5B | +6.3% | +0.0% |
| 10 | Mozambique (MOZ) | HS 740311 - Copper: refined, unwrought, cathodes and sections of cathodes | $1.5B | +24.3% | +1.1% |
| 11 | Kenya (KEN) | HS 271012 - Product description unavailable | $1.4B | +10.4% | +0.0% |
| 12 | Democratic Republic of the Congo (COD) | HS 271012 - Product description unavailable | $1.3B | +18.9% | +0.0% |
| 13 | Mozambique (MOZ) | HS 260111 - Iron ores and concentrates: non-agglomerated | $1.3B | +77.2% | +0.0% |
| 14 | Botswana (BWA) | HS 271012 - Product description unavailable | $1.2B | +9.9% | +0.0% |
| 15 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 870322 - Vehicles: with only spark-ignition internal combustion piston engine, cylinder capacity over 1000 but not over 1500cc | $1.2B | +13.3% | +0.0% |
| 16 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 710813 - Metals: gold, semi-manufactured | $1.1B | +12.9% | +2.5% |
| 17 | Mozambique (MOZ) | HS 271019 - Product description unavailable | $1.1B | +24.9% | +0.0% |
| 18 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 740319 - Copper: refined, unwrought, n.e.c. in item no. 7403.1 | $1.1B | +28.3% | +0.1% |
| 19 | Egypt (EGY) | HS 880510 - Aircraft launching gear, deck-arrestor or similar gear and parts thereof | $1.0B | +29.6% | +0.0% |
| 20 | South Africa (ZAF) | HS 847130 - Data processing machines: portable, digital and automatic, weighing not more than 10kg, consisting of at least a central processing unit, a keyboard and a display | $942.5M | +9.5% | +0.0% |

## Sector opportunities

| Sector | Products | Reported buyer imports | Opportunity | Average growth |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| HS2 00 - HS2 sector 00 | 12 | $29.7B | $19.0B | +18.2% |
| HS2 26 - HS2 sector 26 | 4 | $3.4B | $6.0B | +45.4% |
| HS2 71 - HS2 sector 71 | 2 | $3.5B | $4.7B | +15.4% |
| HS2 85 - HS2 sector 85 | 6 | $4.7B | $4.3B | +16.2% |
| HS2 74 - HS2 sector 74 | 5 | $2.5B | $4.2B | +27.8% |
| HS2 27 - HS2 sector 27 | 3 | $5.5B | $3.3B | +17.7% |
| HS2 72 - HS2 sector 72 | 1 | $1.2B | $2.1B | +23.2% |
| HS2 87 - HS2 sector 87 | 3 | $2.2B | $1.9B | +13.5% |

## Frequently asked questions

### Should Zimbabwe focus on Africa?

Use the market ranking as a starting point, then check product fit, buyer requirements, route costs, tariffs, standards, and competitive conditions.

### What does calculated opportunity mean?

It is a screening indicator built from demand and exporter-position signals. It is not a confirmed order, sales forecast, or guarantee of market entry.

### How should exporters use this page?

Prioritize one market and product combination, then validate buyers, compliance, logistics, pricing, and continuity before making a commercial decision.

## Method

Reported trade observations and calculated indicators are shown separately. Validate buyers, tariffs, standards, logistics, pricing, and competition before acting.

Yugalinks presents derived views for research and planning. [Read the full methodology](https://www.yugalinks.com/methodology).

## Data sources

- Primary trade series: OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-30). [OECD Data Explorer](https://data-explorer.oecd.org/) - [OECD Terms & Conditions](https://www.oecd.org/termsandconditions/)
- CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601): [dataset page](https://www.cepii.fr/CEPII/en/bdd_modele/bdd_modele_item.asp?id=37) - [BACI documentation](https://www.cepii.fr/DATA_DOWNLOAD/baci/doc/baci_webpage.html) - [Etalab 2.0 Open Licence](https://www.etalab.gouv.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/open-licence.pdf)

This page presents derived Yugalinks views of reported observations and calculated indicators.