JOSEPHINE Takundwa has stepped in as president of the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) following her appointment during the chamber’s 2026 Annual General Meeting.

She takes over from Tapiwa Karoro who served as president of ZNCC for the past two years.

Takundwa was officially presented here last night at the ongoing ZNCC 2026 congress becoming the chamber’s third female president since independence in 1980 following the footsteps of Marah Hativagone and Divine Ndhlukula.

Takundwa takes over the helm of Zimbabwe’s largest business representative body at a time when the private sector is pushing for reforms to improve competitiveness, accelerate industrialisation and unlock opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

“I want to place my heartfelt gratitude to our valued members across Zimbabwe for placing trust in my leadership and I would like to thank the outgoing president for his steadfast leadership over the past two years,” Takundwa said.

“During mu presidency il commit to four strategic pillars. The four pillars being aggressive policy advocacy, maximising regional trade, digital transformation and innovation, and lastly, increasing private sector growth.”

Takundwa, who previously was vice president of ZNCC during the past two year will be deputised by Gerald Zhou.

The new leadership will steer the chamber over the 2026-27 year as business intensifies engagement with Government on policies aimed at stimulating investment, expanding exports and improving the operating environment.

The new ZNCC leadership assumes office against a backdrop of persistent challenges facing the business community, including high production costs, infrastructure constraints, exchange rate stability concerns and access to affordable long-term finance.

Business leaders attending the annual congress said strengthening public-private dialogue would be critical in addressing structural bottlenecks affecting industry and commerce while positioning Zimbabwean companies to compete more effectively in regional and international markets.

The chamber has consistently advocated for policy consistency, fiscal discipline and reforms that enhance the ease of doing business to attract both domestic and foreign investment.

Takundwa is expected to build on these priorities while advancing the chamber’s mandate of promoting private sector growth, supporting enterprise development and championing policies that improve the competitiveness of Zimbabwean businesses.

The annual congress brought together business executives, policymakers and development partners to deliberate on strategies for driving economic growth through stronger private sector participation and increased regional trade integration.

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