ZimTrade seeks to link SMEs with buyers at ZITF

THE national trade development and promotion organisation, ZimTrade has devised a
programme that seeks to link select small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across the
country with local and international buyers at this year’s Zimbabwe International Trade
Fair (ZITF).

The annual exhibition will be held under the theme “Transformative Innovation, Global
Competitiveness” and runs from tomorrow to Saturday in Bulawayo.

ZimTrade
The Government expects SMEs to play a pivotal role in transforming the economy
towards an upper middle-income status by 2030.
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This entails scaling up support for the sector by providing finance and working space to
enable the sector to increase the production of quality goods and assist the sector to
secure markets.

SMEs have become a big economic force in the country and across the globe but most of
them are still struggling to secure lucrative markets.

This has seen ZimTrade lining up capacity-building programs, which are meant to
improve the quality of products produced by SMEs as well as marketing strategies that
help them to enter both regional and international markets.
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ZimTrade is also doing inward and outward selling missions, which are meant to bring
the buyer together with the seller in different international, continental, and regional
markets.

In a statement, ZimTrade said, “As part of the capacity building of small businesses, we
encourage SMEs to participate at national exhibitions such as ZITF, where they put to
test their negotiation and marketing skills.”

“At this year’s edition of ZITF, ZimTrade has invited seven small businesses from across
the country to engage buyers from Zimbabwe and beyond under its banner.”
The initiative by ZimTrade helps SMEs to participate in international exhibitions.

SME representatives in Bulawayo also encourage players in the sector to partner and
create groups so that they buy exhibition stands and share the costs.

They said ZITF brings in an opportunity for SMEs to market their products to local and
international buyers as well as establish networks with suppliers of raw materials.
— The Chronicle