Local companies are seeking to tap into growing opportunities in one of Zimbabwe’s most strategic regional markets
Nqobile Bhebhe nqobile.bhebhe@chronicle.co.zw
INTERNATIONAL buyers set to attend the Zimbabwe Export Week Buyers Seminar in Bulawayo today have expressed eagerness to seek partnerships with local producers and suppliers to expand regional trade, unlock new markets and strengthen business collaboration.
The buyers, drawn from Mozambique, Poland, Zambia, Eswatini, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Kingdom, China, Rwanda and Germany, are in the city ahead of the seminar scheduled for today.
They expressed optimism that the engagement, organised by ZimTrade, would provide opportunities to identify reliable Zimbabwean suppliers, establish distribution networks and explore areas of mutual business interest.
Mr Sifiso Dlamini of Eswatini Agricultural Supplies said his company was keen to source agricultural products from Zimbabwe, which he described as one of the leading countries in agriculture.
“My expectation for tomorrow’s (today) engagement organised by ZimTrade, we do want to link with companies to work with in Zimbabwe because we strongly believe Zimbabwe is one of the leading countries in agriculture. So we want to get products from Zimbabwe to Eswatini,” he said.
“We hope that issues such as logistics will be addressed at the seminar, as countries of SADC. So I am expecting to pick up partners to work with on a mutual basis in terms of buying and distribution.
“This is a good initiative by ZimTrade and we need to work together as African countries to increase trade among ourselves.”
The engagement comes as Zimbabwe intensifies efforts to grow exports, increase foreign currency earnings and expand the reach of locally produced goods in regional and international markets.
Buyers are expected to engage local businesses across various sectors, with the seminar providing a platform for exporters to showcase their products and explore opportunities for trade and investment.
A representative from Mozambique, Ms Jasmine Sathiagnanan said she was looking for suppliers of products that could support the country’s construction sector, particularly in telecommunications.
She said the engagement would also provide an opportunity to understand Zimbabwe’s business environment and identify areas where the two countries could collaborate.
“Vendors of products that we could consider importing into Mozambique to help in the construction sector, particularly with the telecoms and also to see who is doing what, to network and to really get a feel for the kind of business that is happening in Zimbabwe right now and to see where we can collaborate between our two nations,” she said.
Beyond agriculture and construction, the seminar is also expected to open opportunities for collaboration in the creative industries.
A German buyer, Mr Franz Keck, said she was interested in exploring new ideas and establishing platforms that could promote Zimbabwean artists and their work in international markets.
“I hope to find some new ideas which I have not seen from Zimbabwe. I also want to interact to see how we can create platforms that are not only concentrating on maybe one field of arts and crafts, which is my field, but also including performances of artists, taking artists across,” he said.
Mr Binnacle Nwokocha, who is based in the United Kingdom, said he was particularly interested in working directly with farmers to help them secure markets for their produce.
“I can’t wait to meet the real, genuine farmers that are really working hard who want to see the worth of their work and want to get the right food into the right market. They want to get paid what they are really worth and I really want to work with those,” he said.
The interest in agricultural products comes as Zimbabwe seeks to strengthen its agricultural value chains and ensure that local producers benefit from growing demand in regional and international markets.
Chinese buyer Patricia Wang Meihong, representing Meihua International and the CCDC China City Development Alliance Overseas Collaborative Development Committee, said the engagement presented an opportunity to deepen economic cooperation between Zimbabwe and China.
She said the Chinese market offered significant opportunities for Zimbabwean businesses, particularly in agriculture and industry.
“China has a really huge population and large markets. So we definitely want to promote the two nations’ friendship, not only friendship, but also real business collaboration and diplomatic international cooperation,” she said.
Ms Wang said the two countries could establish platforms to facilitate collaboration in agriculture and industrial development.
“So actually we can establish the platform for the agriculture or industrial area from Zimbabwe, establish the platform together. We are looking forward to a better future,” she said.
The Zimbabwe Export Week Buyers Seminar is expected to facilitate business partnerships, promote local products and expand Zimbabwe’s export markets.
The engagements are also expected to generate export orders, distribution agreements and long-term business relationships, supporting efforts to increase local production, industrial capacity utilisation, employment creation and foreign currency earnings.-herald
