THE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira, has encouraged Treger Products to accelerate its expansion into regional markets, saying Zimbabwean industries must shift from being inward-looking to feeding the region and the world.
Touring the Treger Group manufacturing plant on the sidelines of the ZimTrade Annual Exporters Conference in Bulawayo on Friday, the Ministry said the Minister commended the company for investing in modern and knowledge-driven systems after being briefed on its production capacity, technology and growth trajectory.
“Minister Murwira commended the company for investing in modern, knowledge-driven systems, describing a knowledge-based economy as the foundation of sustainable industrial growth.”
The Minister said: “At the end of the day, it is about the people and the knowledge they possess. A knowledge-driven economy is a real economy. Zimbabwe’s economic philosophy is anchored on outward-oriented production. To grow this economy, we must feed the world.”
He added that for a long time, Zimbabwe has been inward-looking and now industry must look outward, as that is how wealth is created.
Treger Group executives indicated that while their products have established a footprint in parts of Southern Africa, including Mozambique, they have yet to penetrate markets such as Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.
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Minister Murwira said the company’s production figures reflect capacity beyond the domestic market.
“The numbers you are showing do not reflect an organisation that wants to feed Zimbabwe only. They reflect an organisation that wants to feed the region.
“To support such expansion, the Government has initiated a programme to establish warehouses for Zimbabwean products in strategic regional markets, beginning with Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo,” he added.
He said the initiative aims to strengthen logistics through improved storage and transportation infrastructure, making it easier for local companies to distribute goods across borders.
The Minister said that to build trust in new markets, there is a need to invest in logistics.
“These warehouses will function like bonded facilities where Zimbabwean products can be stored and distributed from within the region. Under the proposed arrangement, companies will retain responsibility for their products while the Government facilitates access to infrastructure to lower market-entry barriers.”
He cautioned that remaining focused solely on the domestic market limits growth potential, stating that when looking inward, the wheel turns, but it does not grow.
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The Minister said growth comes when companies step beyond the borders, urging Treger Group to take advantage of the Government’s regional trade facilitation efforts and position itself as a competitive regional brand.
“It is in our national interest to see Zimbabwean products across Africa.”
The visit, organised by Zimbabwe’s trade and export vehicle, ZimTrade, underscores President Mnangagwa and the Government’s broader strategy to promote export-led growth and strengthen Zimbabwe’s participation in regional value chains.-herald
