daniel chigunwe
Prosper Ndlovu in Gaborone, Botswana
THE ongoing 2023 Global Expo Botswana has offered Zimbabwe a prime opportunity to showcase its vast investment opportunities and export of various goods and services into the region and beyond.
With 23 participating companies here, Zimbabwe is one of the largest exhibitors and its business are a centre of attraction as potential buyers and investors make enquiries on different products and services.
Today ZimTrade, the country’s trade development and promotion organisation, which facilitated the participation of local businesses at the expo, held a session with delegates to unpack various aspects of doing business with Zimbabwe and highlighted the vast export opportunities.
ZimTrade client advisor, Nozipho Maphala, delivered the presentation in which she explored Zimbabwe’s exporting profile covering different products and service offers across economic sectors.
She said the country was transforming its economy and diversifying its exports so as to grow the gains beyond the traditional export partners- South Africa and the European Union.
Zimbabwe is already making huge export inroads to the United Arab Emirates and China, and is pushing to drive volumes to several untapped markets in the region such as Botswana, and further, she said.
Despite being closer to Zimbabwe, Botswana has minimal trade numbers among the regional peers. As such, Maphala said there were higher trade prospects between the two neighboring states and urged Zimbabwean and Botswana businesses to capitalize on the existing cordial bilateral ties, to increase mutual trade spin-offs.
In the context of the AfCFTA, she said Zimbabwe and Botswana stand a chance to reap big and require more collaboration. Zimbabwean firms have leverage in terms of a solid manufacturing base and have competences in mining, agriculture and human capital development, to mention a few.
Maphala said more potential exists in trading of services as well as technology transfer including research and development.
The two countries must strike synergies in these areas, she said. During question time, the delegates sought more clarity on the bilateral trade agreement between the two countries. Others suggested that Zimbabwe needs to fine tune its ease of doing business mainly related to border movement and issues of customs clearance.
There was also a call for the two countries to facilitate ease of movement of persons and skills, as well as closing the gap in technology transfer.
This year’s expo runs under the theme: “AfCFTA as springboard for improved infra-Africa trade”, and ends tomorrow.
Bongani Ndlovu