GOVERNMENT has called for a radical shift towards data-driven policymaking to reduce trade and transport costs that have long hindered growth in landlocked economies such as Zimbabwe.
The call comes amid mounting concern that high logistics costs and inefficient border operations are undermining the competitiveness of southern African countries in global markets.
Speaking at a United Nations-backed workshop in Harare this week, Transport and Infrastructural Development permanent secretary Joy Makumbe stressed that reliable data should be turned into “actionable, context-specific solutions” that make trade more efficient, inclusive and responsive to local conditions.
“It is both an honour and a responsibility to speak on a theme that strikes at the heart of development for landlocked developing countries, from data to policy,” she said.
“We gather to bridge the gap between knowledge and action, between data and decision-making in transport and trade facilitation.”
Zimbabwe, like many landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), faces structural disadvantages that raise transport costs, reduce competitiveness and limit participation in global trade.
Makumbe highlighted that these challenges are compounded by weak energy access, poor digital connectivity and climate vulnerability, factors that make evidence-based reforms essential for economic resilience.
“The lack of direct access for countries such as Zimbabwe to the sea increases transport costs, reduces competitiveness and limits participation in global trade.
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“Many LLDCs also experience constraints in energy access, digital connectivity and climate resilience.
“These challenges are not new, but our tools to address them can be redefined and customised to meet our current challenges and diverse economies.”
The government has launched several initiatives to modernise trade facilitation, including upgrading Beitbridge and Chirundu border posts, which aim to reduce clearance delays and cut costs for exporters.
According to analysts, border inefficiencies have long inflated the cost of moving goods across southern Africa, affecting both intra-regional and international trade.
“Let us remember every dataset represents people, traffic or transaction.
“Traders waiting at a border, students walking miles to school, entrepreneurs seeking access to markets.
“When we improve how we use data, we improve lives,” Makumbe said.
The secretary also emphasised the need for regional collaboration and breaking the silo mentality that hampers progress.
“No country and no institution, can do this alone.
“Regional co-operation, South-South learning and partnerships between governments, academia, and the private sector are crucial for turning shared data into shared progress.”
The country’s central geographical location within southern Africa, Makumbe noted, positions it as a potential logistics hub, capable of linking landlocked countries to ports in Mozambique, South Africa and beyond.
Realising this potential, she said, required robust evidence-based planning, investment in infrastructure and harmonised regulatory frameworks across borders.
The workshop is part of broader efforts to advance the Awaza Decade of Action, a UN-endorsed initiative to support LLDCs in improving trade facilitation, transport infrastructure, and sustainable economic development.
“If we succeed, the outcomes of this workshop will not just be recommendations on paper, but the foundation for stronger, evidence-based policies that advance the Awaza Decade of Action,” Makumbe said.
Experts say the focus on data-driven reforms reflects a wider push across Africa to modernise trade logistics.
In many landlocked countries, exporters face multiple checkpoints, inconsistent customs procedures and fragmented digital systems, all of which inflate costs and discourage investment.
By harnessing accurate and timely data, policymakers hope to streamline operations, reduce bottlenecks and make supply chains more predictable.
“Every decision we make based on accurate data can improve lives and livelihoods,” Makumbe said.
For Zimbabwe, which already serves as a key transit route for neighbouring countries, successful implementation of these reforms could lower costs, attract foreign investment— and strengthen its role as a regional hub for trade and logistics.
Experts also warn that failure to act risks leaving the country behind as neighbouring LLDCs modernise and integrate more effectively into global supply chains.
By focusing on evidence, co-operation and innovation, the government hopes to turn data from an underutilised resource into a strategic tool for economic transformation, ensuring that transport and trade reform delivers tangible benefits for businesses and citizens alike.
