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Gibson Mhaka Business Correspondent
PLAYERS in the construction industry who exhibited for the first time at the just ended Mine Entra trade showcase have described the event as highly successful in creating business opportunities with potential customers.The building and construction sector which was introduced for the first time to the exhibition by the organisers of the event, the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Company, accounted for six percent of the 82 percent of the exhibition space that was taken up this year.
In separate interviews with Business Chronicle, companies in the building and construction sector said the event had managed to live up to their expectations after they received a number of inquiries from local and international companies who expressed interest to do business with them.
Pretoria Portland Cement marketing officer Mr Chris Jana whose company was exhibiting for the first time said the event was well organised and it created a platform for them to expose their products to local and international markets.
“This is our first time to exhibit at Mine Entra and it’s definitely worth it to participate as we are also celebrating 100 years of operating in Zimbabwe. We have received a lot of enquiries from various potential customers.
“We are very happy that we managed to show our new brands to potential clients and as a company we have also realised that we could have missed a lot of business had we chosen not to participate in this fruitful trade event”, he said.
Zimtiles sales manager Mr Nkosana Mapuma whose company specialises in roof and floor tiles and pavements shared similar sentiments saying the expo had opened business opportunities for his organisation at a time production in the sector was improving.
“There is a lot of interest in our products although on the first day enquiries were a bit slow but the response we have so far received is tremendous. The exhibition has provided us with an opportunity to answer questions from our customers most of them mining companies. Definitely, we have secured the right clientele for a wide range of our products,” he said.
An estimator with Radar Metal Industries Mr Runyararo Muwunganirwa said they received a lot of enquiries saying the exhibition creates a marketing platform for their products at a time when the construction industry was on a rebound.
He said his company secured orders from a number of mining houses that developed interest in their products
Zimbabwe’s construction industry has not been spared from the economic challenges the country went through before the introduction of multiple foreign currencies in February 2009.
Due to economic meltdown in recent years, capacity utilisation in the construction sector averaged 10 percent prior to 2009.
However, as a result of positive macro-economic developments the country has achieved since 2009, capacity utilisation in the sector is now above 30 percent.
Economic experts have called for the need to increase capacity utilisation in all sectors of the economy so that Zimbabwe’s economy was restored to its former glory.
Online Reporter