A delegation from the Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA) and the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) recently met with the Assistant Secretary General for Programmes Dr Mohamed Kadah and discussed different areas of cooperation to support their work.

EIPA was led by Board Chairperson Theo Hlophe while ZDA was led by Mr Innocent Melu the Director, Corporate Strategy.

The visit was an initiative of EIPA to understand COMESA programmes and to discuss the possibility of receiving support in delivering on their mandate. It is also part of EIPA’s vision to become an impactful Investment Promotion Agency (IPA).

Receiving the delegations, Dr Kadah noted that investment was one of the core mandate of COMESA, whereby, the regional bloc seeks to create impact in its service to Member States.

The CEO of EIPA Mr Sibani Mngomezulu highlighted the challenges facing the IPAs including under-resourcing and high staff turnover, which he said requires constant capacity building. He highlighted the agency’s priorities including the development of agriculture value chains, EIPA’s digital strategy and capacity enhancement for EIPA staff.

Going forward, COMESA and the IPAs parties agreed to work together to promote investments in the region. Identified potential areas of collaboration include an investment roadshow targeting the beef industry and supporting the implementation of the COMESA Investment Agreement.