Forget the old red tape. Zimbabwe just told South Africa: let's tear down the trade walls and dig deeper - together.

In a surprisingly upbeat pitch in Midrand on Friday, Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa and South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa turned their usual diplomatic handshake into a full-blown business courtship.

As reported by cbinews.tv, the two leaders were speaking at a business forum on the sidelines of the Fourth South Africa-Zimbabwe Bi-National Commission (BNC) - that big neighbourly get-together that has quietly produced more than 33 agreements and MoUs since it was set up back in 2015.

And Mnangagwa came with a clear message.

"I wish to reiterate that Zimbabwe is open for business. Numerous business reforms continue to be undertaken by my government, including adoption of favourable tax regimes and incentives for investors," he said.

Then he went one step further.

"We stand ready to remove tariff and non-tariff barriers on a reciprocal basis, towards facilitating increased trade and investment between our two countries," he added. His pitch? Stronger ties that actually create jobs for women, youth and SMEs, not just boardroom handshakes.

So why does this matter now? Let's add some context.

Historically, these two economies have been inseparable, but lopsided. Rooted in a shared liberation struggle, South Africa remains Zimbabwe's biggest trading partner by far.

Bilateral trade has almost doubled in the last four years, but it’s heavily skewed. South African exports to Zimbabwe hit around US$4.3 billion in 2025, driven by agricultural products, machinery and manufactured goods, while Zimbabwe exports far less in return. Ramaphosa himself flagged the imbalance, saying South Africa "exports much more to Zimbabwe than it imports" and that both sides need to use the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to rebalance things.

In other words, Mnangagwa's offer to scrap barriers is exactly what Pretoria wants to hear.

The real jewel in the crown? Mining.

Ramaphosa didn't hold back on this one:

"With growing production of gold, platinum and critical minerals such as lithium, which Zimbabwe has in great abundance, Zimbabwe is fast emerging as a global participant," he said.

He's not wrong. Zimbabwe is sitting on a mineral treasure chest. It holds the world's third-largest platinum reserves and the largest known lithium deposits in Africa, ranking as the world's fifth-largest producer of lithium ore.

Lithium - the white gold for EV batteries - is now Zimbabwe's third-biggest mineral export after platinum group metals and gold, having earned $209 million in just the first nine months of 2023. The African Development Bank projects its lithium carbonate capacity could explode from 13,000 tonnes per year in 2022 to around 192,000 tonnes by 2027.

Gold? Also booming. The UAE is now Zimbabwe's top export destination thanks to gold, which has pushed services exports up 12% too. But South Africa still accounts for 22.8% of total exports - so the link remains critical.

And then there's power.

Ramaphosa also pushed for deeper energy ties, pointing to the Southern African Power Pool.

"Together, we need to deepen energy cooperation. We have seen the value of the Southern African Power Pool. Now we must embrace its potential to establish Southern Africa as a leader in the generation of clean, affordable and reliable energy," he urged.

For two countries that have both battled crippling load-shedding and power deficits, that's more than just green talk - it's economic survival.

The bottom line from Midrand? The politics are old, but the economics are getting a much-needed reboot. Less talk about barriers, more talk about batteries, beneficiation and building.

Watch this space. If Zimbabwe can deliver on tax incentives and actually process its lithium at home instead of shipping raw concentrate, South African investors might just bite.

*Original reporting via business forum at Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, as covered by cbinews.tv*

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