Botswana's President, Duma Boko, has hailed Zimbabwe's extraordinary economic rebound, which registered a 6.6% growth last year.

Officially opening the 66th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo, Boko described the development as a powerful signal of a Southern African Development Community (SADC) region on a rebounding trajectory.

President Boko said Zimbabwe's robust economic growth momentum is restoring regional confidence and repositioning Zimbabwe as a rising economic force in the SADC region and the wider African continent.

Boko added that Zimbabwe's recent economic trajectory reflected a decisive turnaround grounded in macroeconomic stability and consistent policy implementation.

"The Zimbabwean economy is now buoyant. It has grown in the year 2025 at a blistering 6.6%. We trust that the Minister of Finance, Mthuli Ncube, will steward it to greater heights. And I would like to seize this moment to congratulate His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe, the government and the people of this republic on the progress achieved in macroeconomic stabilisation. This growth, this phenomenal growth of the economy, inspires confidence, not just in your country but in the region."

Running from 20 to 25 April under the theme "Connected Economies, Competitive Industries", the ZITF has further solidified its status as one of sub-Saharan Africa's premier multi-sectoral trade showcases.