Zimbabwe is stepping up efforts to develop its domestic pharmaceutical industry through negotiations with Russian pharmaceutical company Pharmasyntex-Nord Group to establish a manufacturing plant in the country, in a move aimed at reducing medicine imports and strengthening local production capacity.
Vice-President Kembo Mohadi said the proposed partnership presented an opportunity for Zimbabwe to acquire advanced pharmaceutical technology, build local manufacturing capacity and improve access to specialised medicines, particularly those used in cancer treatment.
He made the remarks after touring the company’s industrial complex in St Petersburg, Russia, where he led a Zimbabwean delegation to explore areas of cooperation in pharmaceutical manufacturing and healthcare technology.
VP Mohadi said Zimbabwe was keen to move beyond importing finished pharmaceutical products towards developing its own manufacturing capabilities, with technology transfer being a key consideration in the proposed partnership.
“We would want them to establish themselves back home as well, so that there is a transfer of technology, which is going to remain in Zimbabwe and last back home,” he said.
VP Mohadi said the visit provided an opportunity for Zimbabwe to assess Russia’s pharmaceutical capabilities and identify areas where the two countries could establish mutually beneficial business arrangements.
He said access to advanced medical technologies would also strengthen Zimbabwe’s capacity to decentralise specialised healthcare services, particularly cancer diagnosis and treatment, making such services more accessible to citizens.
The proposed pharmaceutical investment forms part of broader efforts to translate Zimbabwe and Russia’s longstanding diplomatic relations into tangible economic cooperation, with increased trade, technology exchange and industrial development among the priorities.
VP Mohadi said the two countries needed to expand trade volumes and explore additional opportunities for cooperation, including the possible establishment of a trade attaché position in Russia to facilitate commercial engagements.
“The ties between Zimbabwe and Russia are moving to economic ties that are going to benefit Zimbabweans back home. We would want to increase the volume of trade between the two countries; it is not that lucrative, so we want to increase that,” he said.
He said Zimbabwe and Russia had maintained strong relations dating back to the liberation struggle, when the former Soviet Union supported the country’s nationalist movements.
The Vice-President said the historical relationship should now be leveraged to advance cooperation in strategic sectors, including mining, science and technology, healthcare and human capital development.
VP Mohadi also highlighted the importance of educational cooperation, saying Zimbabwe was sending students to Russian institutions to acquire specialist skills in medicine, engineering, science and technology.
He said the skills being acquired by Zimbabwean students would contribute to national development and strengthen the country’s capacity to implement major economic and industrial projects.
“That is why we are bringing quite a lot of STEM students here studying medicine, engineering and all other things. We want to take as much as is possible from them so that we can develop our country as well,” he said.
VP Mohadi said the cooperation with Russia would complement Zimbabwe’s broader development aspirations under Vision 2030, as Government pursues industrialisation, technology adoption and improved access to essential services.
The Vice-President, who oversees the health cluster, is in Russia to follow up on the 2025 Memorandum of Understanding signed between the health ministries of Zimbabwe and Russia.
