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Zambia and Angola have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral economic cooperation, with a particular focus on enhancing trade and investment opportunities for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development Permanent Secretary, Subeta Mutelo, highlighted the significance of cross-border collaboration and peer learning among MSMEs in the two countries.
This is according to a statement issued in Lusaka on Sunday by Ministry Principal Public Relations Officer, Virginia Chilongo.
Mutelo emphasized the need to position MSMEs to take full advantage of continental trade initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and regional infrastructure platforms like the Lobito Corridor.
“We are here to ensure our SMEs benefit from this mission by learning from their Angolan counterparts. Having toured the exhibition stands of both Zambian and Angolan SMEs, there is vast potential for collaboration from product branding to quality enhancement. Our enterprises stand to gain significantly from shared experiences,” she said.
Mutelo further encouraged entrepreneurs to draw lessons from global SME best practices, especially in areas such as value addition, sustainability, and competitive market positioning.
“We were particularly pleased with the warm reception from Angolan authorities. Our discussions touched on key mutual interests, including the language barrier. We have agreed to explore the development of a shared learning platform to foster easier communication and knowledge exchange in areas such as pricing, negotiation, and technical skills,” she said.
Both Zambia and Angola reaffirmed their commitment to building stronger SME partnerships and pledged continued collaboration to unlock the full potential of bilateral trade and enterprise development.
Echoing similar sentiments, Bráulio Augusto, representative of the National Institute of Small and Medium Enterprises of Angola, emphasized the mutual benefits of closer economic ties between the two nations.
Augusto assured that both governments are committed to enabling business-friendly environments that support MSME growth and cross-border trade.
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“Reinforced cooperation, especially on the economic front, is key. There are synergies we can harness, particularly in agriculture and value-added products,” he stated.
Augusto added that as a government, Angola is available to facilitate trade and create a more enabling business environment.
“Angola is committed to ensuring our entrepreneurs gain meaningful access to opportunities in the Zambian market. Likewise, the Angolan market remains wide open to Zambian products,” he said.
The Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry and the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) through the support of the Lobito Corridor Trade Facilitation Project, organised a Trade Mission for 20 Zambian businesses to explore and expand into the Angolan market.
The Trade Mission is happening on the sidelines of the 40th edition of the Luanda International Trade Fair (FILDA), the Trade Mission offers Zambian companies a platform to engage in Business-to-Business meetings and exhibition.
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