By Patience Gondo
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce will on November 21 host a pivotal national consultation workshop in Beitbridge to refine the draft Zimbabwe National Quality Policy 2025–2030.
The framework is expected to guide the country’s quality standards regime for the next five years as Zimbabwe intensifies reforms under Vision 2030 and NDS2.
The meeting, to be held at Blue Villa Lodge, comes at a critical moment as the current policy expires at the end of 2025, requiring a successor document that responds to emerging industrial, regulatory and trade realities.
The workshop is being convened to ensure broad national participation in the restructuring of the National Quality Infrastructure (NQI), which underpins everything from product safety and measurements to market surveillance, export certification and consumer protection.
Zimbabwe’s renewed push for quality reforms is partly driven by regional and international trade commitments particularly the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), SADC, COMESA and WTO standards which require countries to strengthen conformity assessment systems to ensure their goods can move freely across borders.
The programme shared with stakeholders indicates that proceedings will begin at 8AM with registration, followed by the national anthem, prayer and introductions.
The Permanent Secretary for Industry and Commerce Dr Thomas Utete is expected to outline the national context behind the policy review, including the need to align Zimbabwe’s standards framework with global best practice and support the country’s industrialisation agenda.
The Permanent Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Matabeleland South Ms Latiso Dlamini Maseko will then officially welcome participants.
A key session led by Quality Assurance officials will present the overview of the draft NQP, highlighting the critical role quality systems play in economic development.
Government says stronger quality infrastructure is essential for boosting export competitiveness, protecting consumers from unsafe or substandard products, improving industrial performance and eliminating costly technical barriers to trade.
The policy also seeks to modernise the country’s metrology and standards systems, create efficiency in regulatory enforcement and promote a national culture that values quality in production and service provision.
Three technical presentations will follow, beginning with the Consumer Protection Commission on market surveillance challenges and interventions.
The Standards Association of Zimbabwe will address gaps in national standardisation and pathways for alignment with regional and international norms.
The Trade Measures Department will then update participants on issues in metrology, an area crucial for guaranteeing accuracy in measurements that affect pricing, trade fairness and safety.
A two hour plenary session will allow stakeholders to debate the strengths and weaknesses of the draft policy, raise sector-specific concerns and identify opportunities to improve the framework before it is finalised.
Officials say these inputs are vital because the NQP will become the backbone of Zimbabwe’s quality ecosystem, guiding how testing, inspection, certification, accreditation and technical regulations are implemented nationwide.
Closing remarks will be delivered by Quality Assurance before the workshop adjourns at 1PM, followed by lunch.
Government has stressed that the Beitbridge consultations form part of a nationwide effort to craft a policy capable of unlocking new trade opportunities, improving consumer welfare and supporting the country’s economic transformation agenda.
The Ministry says the final NQP must be robust enough to elevate Zimbabwe’s standing in regional and global markets, while ensuring that local products and services consistently meet defined quality, safety and environmental standards.