Buy Zimbabwe Day to be launched

Zimbabwe Day and unveil the Buy Zimbabwe Insignia.
Events, which include a five-kilometre city walk, commemorating Buy Zimbabwe Day are aimed at raising awareness and generating support for consumers to buy products made in Zimbabwe and help revive local industries.

The Buy Zimbabwe Campaign is being co-ordinated through national bodies such as the Standards Association of Zimbabwe, the National Economic Consultative Forum, Marketers’ Association of Zimbabwe, private companies, parastatals, NGOs and other partners to commemorate the day.

In a statement, director-general of the Standards Association of Zimbabwe, Ms Eve Gadzikwa, said SAZ was proud to be associated with the “Buy Zimbabwe Campaign” and the subsequent launch of its insignia.
“This day marks the birth of a momentous development and whose focus is to promote locally produced products and services which meet the minimum criteria set by the organisers. The association welcomes the ushering in of this noble initiative which seeks to actively contribute to the sustainable development of Zimbabwe producers,” said Ms Gadzikwa.

She said survival of the country’s industry base was central to the survival of SAZ but more importantly for the future economic growth of Zimbabwe. To this end, she said, local producers should strive to put in place systems that will ensure long-term sustainability of their operations. It is against this background that SAZ has pulled its weight behind this campaign to promote quality products centred on profits, people and protect in line with global trends.

“In terms of the profits concept, companies need to embrace best practices which integrate new technologies, quality systems and improve efficiencies. As for the people, socially responsible companies are those entities that are alive to the need to produce safe products that are not only “fit for purpose” but also improve the health and welfare of those that consume them. Under the protect principle, companies are being challenged to recycle, manage waste, save energy and monitor persistent organic pollutants and carbon footprint in their processes,” Ms Gadzikwa said.

Ms Gadzikwa said that SAZ has recognised the need to enhance the ability of small, medium and large corporates to produce goods and services of high quality for the domestic and international markets. As such the association, through its standards councils, has facilitated the production of 1 700 standards (ISO ZWS) for use across all sectors of the economy. Through the use of these standards, the SAZ is inextricably linked to industry.

“Buying Zimbabwean products of high quality not only promotes competitiveness against substandard imports but also stimulates an increased demand for locally-produced products and services in Zimbabwe and beyond our borders. This translates into the safeguarding of existing employment opportunities, economic growth, and the creation of more quality employment opportunities in our country.

“By buying Zimbabwean products, both consumers and businesses are making a personal contribution to nation-building and sending a strong message that all players in the supply chain are serious about growing this economy and reducing unemployment.

“Indeed, consumers get an assurance and recognise quality because only SAZ-certified products and services will carry the ‘Buy Zimbabwe’ mark over and above the SAZ seal of approval,” said Ms Gadzikwa.
She added that based on voluntary association, SAZ supports and believes that the launch of the Buy Zimbabwe insignia signifies Zimbabwe’s commitment to promote internationally recognised brands which serve to unlock value and create an impetus for economic growth, employment creation, social change and greater overall prosperity.

Spokesperson of the Buy Zimbabwe Campaign Mr Munyaradzi Hwengwere said Buy Zimbabwe goes beyond simply assertion of pride in what one produces but importantly assures the entire family of a prosperous and sustainable future. It guarantees employment and higher standards of living.

“The campaign targets various communities including; business, labour, Government and consumers. We are particularly calling on all Standards Association of Zimbabwe-certified companies to come forward and be a huge part of this campaign.

“The Buy Zimbabwe Day is designed to celebrate those brands that make Zimbabwe proud, the brands that meet high-quality standards, adhere to the country’s labour laws and are produced in Zimbabwe, the three key principles which the Buy Zimbabwe stands for,” said Mr Hwengwere.

The Buy Zimbabwe Campaign was originally conceptualised as the final task of an entrepreneurial television reality show My Own Boss which targeted youths from Zimbabwe and Zambia upon the realisation that it was the youths who bear the brunt of unemployment because of dysfunctional industries in the two countries.