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Shepias Dube Business Reporter
A BODY formed to promote the consumption of local products, Buy Zimbabwe, will this month embark on another campaign to market local products targeting tertiary institutions across the country. This follows another successful campaign held in Bulawayo four months ago in which it targeted primary schools. The campaign is expected to run from 29 June until the end of October.
Organisers and partners of Buy Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, Innotec said the campaign would run under the theme: ‘‘Consumption today – Employment tomorrow”.
“The buy local campaign continues. This time the campaign will be conducted in tertiary institutions around the country targeting all students and conscientising them about the importance and economic benefits of consuming locally produced goods and services,” Innotec spokesperson Ms Nyaradzo Marima said.
She said the campaign was aimed at leveraging on the influence and spending power of tertiary education students and promoting the consumption of local products.
Ms Marima said an independent survey revealed that 768 000 students at tertiary institutions in the country spent more than $650 million annually on daily personal needs, excluding fees, accommodation, and transport.
This translates to a monthly expenditure of about $54m.
“It is against this background that the Buy Local Campaign – Colleges series seek to partner with local manufacturers and service providers to tap into this lucrative market, educating students on the social and economic benefits of consuming local goods and services ahead of imports,” said Ms Marima.
She urged companies to use the platform to market their products and services.
Ms Marima said the campaign would go a long way in improving consumer appreciation of local goods and services.
It is also expected to boost sales of local products in the short to medium-term and eventually lead to economic revival.
The promotion will be done through addresses, distribution of fliers and posters, lunch time exhibitions and interactions with students and lecturers at 32 selected institutions.
Meanwhile, Buy Zimbabwe is holding its 5th Buy Local annual summit starting on Wednesday in Victoria Falls.
Buy Zimbabwe economist Ms Vandudzai Zirebwa said more than 60 local companies were expected to take part.
“The Buy Zimbabwe proudly hosts its 5th Buy Local Summit from 17-19 June 2015 at the Elephant Hills in the resort town of Victoria Falls. This is an event aimed at bringing together key business leaders, decision makers and Government officials to discuss critical issues relating to the economic development of Zimbabwe under the theme Enhancing Local Preference for Industry Revival,” Ms Zirebwa said.
She said the conference was expected to create a platform to explore opportunities for local companies to increase market share and competitiveness against a background of low funding, high cost of borrowing, ageing plant, equipment and machinery, inconsistent power supply as well as weak distribution linkages with domestic suppliers among several adverse variables.
She said specific focus would be on the mining industry, the ICT sector and export and import oriented industries.
“The participating companies would not only build a collective mindset to be creative and innovative, but would also realise the need to raise the quality of local products in line with global standards,” said Ms Zirebwa.
She said the anticipated resolutions of the conference would feed into Zim Asset implementation and in the related policy framework of the country.
Buy Zimbabwe has been tirelessly worked towards building the competitiveness of local industry.
Its drive is to safeguard and create jobs as well as local wealth through the promotion of local products and services.
Online Reporter