Trade Without Compromise

....Zambia, Zimbabwe joint efforts aim to enforce standards, raise quality assurance, and foster fair competition in local markets.

By Francis Maingaila ♥️ 

Lusaka, Zambia24, (May 7, 2025) – The Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA) and the Department of Quality Assurance and Trade Measures under Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce have reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing institutional collaboration aimed at boosting trade and product safety between the two countries.

This was revealed in a statement issued by ZCSA Public Relations Officer Onishias Maamba, following a high-level benchmarking visit by the Zimbabwean delegation to ZCSA Head Office in Lusaka on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. 

The visit was designed to allow the Zimbabwean team to appreciate Zambia’s implementation of compulsory standards under the Compulsory Standards Act.

ZCSA Executive Director Gerald Chizinga emphasized the importance of strengthening institutional partnerships between Zambia and Zimbabwe to support producers, traders, and manufacturers in complying with mandatory standards. 

He said compliance was key to improving access to local and international markets while protecting consumers and promoting fair competition.

“Zambia and Zimbabwe are sister countries. Therefore, our cooperation must be strong even at institutional level,” Chizinga said.

 “Collaboration between standards agencies is key in facilitating the much-needed intra-Africa trade and promoting product safety for the benefit of citizens.”

Chizinga explained that the benchmarking visit created an opportunity for the two national bodies to exchange knowledge and share best practices in implementing compulsory standards. 

He added that such collaboration would not only enhance regulatory efficiency but also enable both countries to better respond to the growing need for quality assurance in cross-border trade.

Speaking during the same engagement, Riyana Chibanda, who led the Zimbabwean delegation, stated that her country continues to grapple with an influx of substandard products. 

She said this poses a serious challenge to consumer safety and weakens the competitiveness of Zimbabwe’s locally produced goods.

“Enforcement of mandatory standards is essential in ensuring that both imported and locally manufactured products meet the required safety and quality benchmarks,” Chibanda said. 

“We hope that through this engagement and exchange of experiences with ZCSA, we will improve our systems and better safeguard our market.”

The statement further outlined that ZCSA, as a statutory body under Zambia’s Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, is mandated by the Compulsory Standards Act No. 3 of 2017 to administer, maintain, and enforce compulsory standards in the interest of public safety and health, consumer protection, and environmental preservation.

According to Maamba, both institutions recognized the need to deepen collaboration through regular consultations, technical exchanges, and information sharing to ensure harmonized enforcement of standards in line with regional integration efforts.

“The visit provided an important platform for building stronger relations and aligning national regulatory frameworks with shared goals of product safety, consumer protection, and regional economic growth,” Maamba stated.