To spur growth, COMESA's current strategy is economic prosperity through regional integration'. With its 19 member states, a population of over 389 million and annual import bill of around US$32 billion with an export bill of US$82 billion, COMESA forms a major market place for both internal and external trading. Its area is impressive on the map of the African Continent covering a geographical area of 12 Million (sq km).

COMESA offers its members and partners a wide range of benefits which include:

• A wider, harmonised and more competitive market
• Greater industrial productivity and competitiveness
• Increased agricultural production and food security
• A more rational exploitation of natural resources
• More harmonised monetary, banking and financial policies and
• More reliable transport and communications infrastructure
  

To assist in the achievement of trade promotion within the Eastern and Southern Africa region, COMESA has established the following programmes:-

• Trade policy
• Trade Facilitation
• Multilateral Transport
• Information Communication Technology (ICT)
• Energy
• Private Sector Development
• Investment Promotion and
• Gender Mainstreaming.