The Africa Change Development Studies Institute (ACDSI)/ASC AfCFTA Studies Centre to Host Landmark 2026 AfCFTA Summit, Fusing Economic Transformation
Francis
The event, organised by the Africa Change Development Studies Institute (ACDSI)/ASC AfCFTA Studies Centre, is framed not merely as an academic forum but as a critical mechanism to translate the macroeconomic potential of the AfCFTA into tangible economic gains for Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable populations. The choice of the Museum of African Liberation as the venue signals a bold assertion that the new frontier of African liberation is economic self-determination.
The AfCFTA, a flagship project of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, aims to unite all 55 member states into a single market of 1.4 billion people with a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of approximately US$3.4 trillion. For Zimbabwe, successfully navigating this gargantuan market is central to achieving the goals laid out in its National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) to reach an upper middle-income economy by 2030.
However, the path to continental market dominance is steep. Current data suggests that only one percent of Zimbabwean Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) currently access regional export markets. This stark figure underscores the urgent need for the kind of targeted intervention and capacity building that the 2026 conference is designed to address. The conference is specifically focused on promoting value chains, value addition, and climate change compliant industrialisation.
The government has long maintained that Zimbabwe must not become a mere “dumping ground” for the rest of Africa. To avoid this, a strategic shift is required to encourage the private sector to move beyond primary commodity exports toward processed, manufactured goods. The conference’s emphasis on "Investment, Industrialization and Integration" highlights a policy direction determined to leverage AfCFTA protocols on trade in goods and services to drive this structural transformation.
Perhaps the most contemporary element of the conference theme is the inclusion of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the need to operate within a “fast advancing digital world”. This focus acknowledges that modern trade integration is inseparable from digital trade protocols, e-commerce, and advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and blockchain.
The AfCFTA itself has adopted a new Digital Trade Protocol (DTP) to create a harmonised regulatory environment for digital commerce across the continent. This provides a massive opportunity for Zimbabwean businesses to leapfrog physical infrastructure deficits and access continental markets through digital platforms. However, the benefits of 4IR are not automatic. Experts highlight that realizing the full potential of digital transformation requires aggressively bridging the digital divide, improving digital literacy, and ensuring robust cybersecurity and data protection frameworks.
The conference will specifically investigate how to apply this digital leap to marginalized rural, urban, and resettled communities. This grassroots approach suggests a focus on digital financial inclusion, mobile-enabled trade platforms, and capacity building for youth and women-led enterprises, which currently face a significant gap in accessing trade-related information.
The venue for the event, the Museum of African Liberation, is a powerful choice. Located within the 101-hectare Liberation City development in Harare, the museum is a Pan-African, multi-country initiative dedicated to preserving the history of liberation struggles across the continent.
By hosting a summit on economic integration at a site dedicated to political freedom, the organizers—the Institute of African Knowledge (INSTAK) and the ASC AfCFTA Studies Centre—are sending a clear message: economic freedom is the logical successor to political liberation. The AfCFTA, by uniting African economies, is seen as the ultimate vehicle to complete the project of self-determination begun by the continent's founders.
The Liberation City, which will also house a heritage village and other facilities, is intended to be a hub for cultural and historical heritage. Its selection as the 2026 conference site transforms the discussion from dry policy into a patriotic and pan-African mission, urging academics, policymakers, and private sector players to take ownership of the economic development agenda.
The scale of the conference is underscored by the diversity of its partnerships. The event is a hybrid international conference, drawing both physical attendance and virtual participation. Key partners include local academic heavyweights such as the University of Zimbabwe, Midlands State University, and Great Zimbabwe University.
Crucially, the summit has attracted international partners from across the globe and the continent, including the Crimea Federal University, the University of Ghana, and Rhodes University, alongside academic publishers like Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group. This broad coalition, spanning Africa, Eastern Europe, and the academic publishing world, signifies a growing consensus on the importance of the AfCFTA and the urgency of integrating the Southern African sub-region into the larger continental value chains.
The academic focus is expected to result in policy prescriptions directly targeting the removal of barriers, promotion of digital trade platforms, and harmonization of trade rules—all necessary steps to empower Zimbabwean SMEs and ensure that the country truly benefits from the projected $3.4 trillion market. The call for papers, abstracts, exhibitions, and sponsors highlights the organizers' intent to gather diverse viewpoints and practical solutions across sectors.
The 2026 AfCFTA Studies Centre International Conference is shaping up to be a critical moment for Zimbabwe, offering a platform to leverage global and continental expertise. It provides a unique opportunity to map out a clear, inclusive, and digitally-enabled strategy to move the country from political liberation towards the ultimate goal of shared economic prosperity.
