By 
By Ross Moyo
The People’s Own Savings Bank (POSB) is putting $20 million in new export money on the table and betting that Zimbabwe’s next big foreign currency earner won’t just come from mines and tobacco — it will come from SMEs, farmers, and tech entrepreneurs.
On Thursday, 10 September 2026, POSB will host the 3rd Annual Exporters Seminar at Cresta Lodge Msasa, Sango Conference Room, 08:30 to 16:30 hours. The event will also be livestreamed on POSB’s social media platforms to reach exporters in Bulawayo, Mutare, Beitbridge and the diaspora.
This year’s theme: “Accessible Export Finance: Powering Businesses Beyond Borders.”
$20 MILLION PUSH: FINANCE IS THE BOTTLENECK
Speaking ahead of the seminar, POSB CEO Garainashe Changunda said the gap between opportunity and export is money, information, and risk cover.
“As POSB, we believe Zimbabwe has immense export potential across agriculture, horticulture, mining, manufacturing, tourism and services. This potential is not limited to large corporations. It extends to the small-holder farmer supplying a regional buyer, the SME producing a specialised product, the manufacturer seeking to expand capacity and the young entrepreneur using technology to sell services beyond our borders,” Changunda said.
“However, what often stands between a good opportunity and a completed export transaction is access to the right finance, market information and practical guidance.”
To close that gap, POSB is rolling out two new facilities secured from Afreximbank:
1. US$10 million line of credit to support qualifying SMEs operating in export value chains
2. US$10 million trade finance facility for import, export and trade-related transactions through Letters of Credit and international guarantees
They sit alongside POSB’s existing pre-shipment, post-shipment, working-capital and asset-finance solutions, plus multi-currency and FCA export accounts, telegraphic transfers, export-document administration, exchange-control advisory, international guarantees and documentary collections.
“We deliberately established this platform to bring together the entire export ecosystem,” Changunda said. “Through the seminar, stakeholders can openly discuss opportunities and barriers, share practical knowledge and build partnerships that support sustainable export growth.”
NDS2 TARGET: FROM 5.5% TO 18.4% VALUE-ADDED EXPORTS
The seminar is directly aligned to National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
NDS2 recognises exports as key to foreign currency, jobs, and industrialisation. The targets are aggressive:
– Increase manufactured and value-added products to total exports from 5.5% in 2025 to 18.4% by 2030
– Export growth target: 10%
– Value-added export growth target: 15%
With gold, PGMs and tobacco still dominating, hitting 18.4% means Zimbabwe must move up the value chain — processed foods, leather, clothing, horticulture, and services.
WHO WILL BE IN THE ROOM
POSB has pulled the whole export ecosystem into one room. Key speakers expected:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Afreximbank, ZimTrade, ZIMRA, Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of Zimbabwe, National Competitiveness Commission, Agricultural Marketing Authority, and Horticultural Development Council.
Topics on the table:
– Access to export finance and foreign-currency support
– Regional and global market opportunities under AfCFTA and COMESA
– Credit insurance and risk management
– Customs processes, trade compliance, and documentation
– Competitiveness and opportunities in agriculture and other value chains
WHY THIS MATTERS FOR THE “SMALL GUY”
For 120 years POSB has pitched itself as “The People’s Bank.” That heritage is now being aimed at export.
A small-holder farmer with a SADC buyer. A Kadoma manufacturer needing LCs. A Harare tech freelancer selling services in USD. All can now walk into POSB and ask for pre-shipment finance, not just a savings account.
That is the shift. Export is no longer for conglomerates only.
120 YEARS OF SAVING, NOW FINANCING GROWTH
About POSB: The People’s Own Savings Bank is Zimbabwe’s only 100% homegrown savings bank, serving the nation for over 120 years. Established in December 1904 as the Post Office Savings Bank, it mobilized savings through the post office network until 1965. The POSB of Zimbabwe Act [Chapter 24:22] in 2001 made it a standalone corporate body.
Today it is leveraging that trust and branch network to push productive sector lending.
BOTTOM LINE
Money without markets is useless. Markets without money are impossible.
POSB’s $20m Afreximbank facilities + the seminar are an attempt to solve both at once. If SMEs can access LCs, insurance, and market intel in one day, then NDS2’s 18.4% value-added target stops being a spreadsheet and starts being containers leaving Beitbridge.
The real test after 10 September is not how many people attend.
It’s how many Zimbabwean businesses actually ship, get paid, and come back for facility number two.
For exporters: Register, attend in person or online, and bring your buyer’s order. The finance is now here.
Contact: David Makacha, Public Relations Manager
Email: [email protected] or [email protected] | Tel: 0242 79381
www.posb.co.zw | @POSBZimbabwe
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