ZimTrade scoops global award
Speaking after receiving the award in Ghana on Tuesday, ZimTrade chief executive Allan Majuru said the award was a recognition of a programme that is being implemented to strengthen export competitiveness and create market linkages for previously marginalised communities.
ZimTrade has won the World Trade Promotion Organisation (WTPO) Award for 2022 in recognition of its contribution to the development and facilitation of Zimbabwe’s exports.
The WTPO Awards recognise efforts by trade promotion organisations (TPOs) that would have effectively contributed to strengthening the competitiveness of exports from their countries.
The awards are seen as the flagship event of the International Trade Centre (ITC), which has a joint mandate with the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations.
Nominees were categorised under three segments consisting of the Best Use of a Partnership, Information Communication Technology, and Initiatives for Inclusive and Sustainable Trade.
ZimTrade, through the Eagles’ Nest Youth Export Incubation programme, won the Best Initiative for Inclusive and Sustainable Trade Award beating competition from Sri Lanka, Republic of Korea, Netherlands and Zambia.
This is the second time ZimTrade was nominated for the WTPO award.
Speaking after receiving the award in Ghana on Tuesday, ZimTrade chief executive Allan Majuru said the award was a recognition of a programme that is being implemented to strengthen export competitiveness and create market linkages for previously marginalised communities.
“This is an exciting award for us and goes a long way to demonstrate the hard work put in by everyone at ZimTrade to ensure that we achieve our goals.
“In line with the aspirations of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, we have had to refocus our approach to ensure that we fully develop capacities for youth-led and women-led enterprises, given the big space they hold in our economy,” Mr Majuru said.
The Eagles Nest Youth Export Incubation programme was launched in 2020 to inculcate an export culture among youth enterprises in Zimbabwe.
The programme is premised on the understanding that meaningful trade and economic development require specific approaches to include the under served groups, particularly young people.
This initiative anchors on the recognition by the National Youth Policy that the participation of young people in economic activities provides sustainable livelihood to the majority of the population.
Eagles Nest youth export incubation, now in its second year running, bridges the knowledge gap by bringing different stakeholders together to support and nurture youth-led businesses across Zimbabwe into viable export ready companies.
The programme uses a pool of mentors, who are successful local business owners to provide practical solutions that will aid in navigating some of the difficult business terrain.
ZimTrade collaborates with Netherlands-based PUM and SES of Germany, to offer support to selected organisations, by providing expert advice to businesses that will make youth-owned businesses competitive.
Last year, ZimTrade was nominated under the “Best Use of A Partnership” category, which recognised the successful use of integrated partnerships and networks to advance export development and impact.
ZimTrade joined 13 other nominated TPOs from around the world which included Austria, Brazil, Canada, Jamaica, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Zambia.
The WTPO Awards have been recognising outstanding TPO practices, promoting success, innovation and the sharing of excellence since 2004 and the 2022 WTPO Awards focused on excellence in export development initiatives.
Exports from Zimbabwe earned the country US$6,03 billion in 2021, a 37,3 percent increase compared to US$4,39 billion recorded in the same period in 2020.-The Herald
