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Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
COURIER service provider, FedEx Express Zimbabwe has opened a branch in Hwange as it spreads wings into small towns and remote parts of the country through partnerships with independent agents.
The company says it now has an office in almost every town countrywide.
Mr Stacey Simbanegavi, the company’s client relations manager said soon they will open a branch in Binga while Lupane and Tsholotsho are some of the target destinations in Matabeleland North province.
He said this recently during the opening of the company’s office in Hwange to be run by an agent, Viback Marketing.
“What we are doing is partner with local business. We go into an area and identify a business partner to act as our agent and in Hwange we chose Viback Marketing,” said Mr Simbanegavi.
He said as much as the company wanted to expand its business, its aim was to empower indigenous business so they also grow.
“Our main thrust is to seek partnerships with locals and in the process create employment while we will also be coming up with innovative logistical solutions whose cost is insignificant to the end user.
“All we are doing is penetrating and opening branches in the country’s remotest areas in conjunction with indigenous entrepreneurs as part of economic empowerment,” he said.
He added: “Very soon our tentacles will be spreading to areas such as Binga, Lupane and Tsholotsho and Matabeleland South so that we bring the company’s service closer to the people through partnering with local entrepreneurs especially small to medium enterprises.”
Mr Simbanegavi said the Binga office would also be serviced by Viback Marketing through their Binga branch while plans are underway to identify partners in Lupane and Tsholotsho.
Agents, who will earn a commission, would receive and deliver parcels at no extra cost for the client.
Hwange clients have been getting their parcels late as they would be distributed from the company’s Victoria Falls’ branch, which Mr Simbanegavi said posed ‘a bit of some challenges.’
Over the years FedEx has been in major towns including border towns where there are export and import offices while towns like Chinhoyi, Chiredzi and Masvingo were drop-off points.
The company offers courier services that include overnight shipping service, mail delivery, express mail, freight forwarding and third party logistics.
The Hwange office launch was attended by senior managers from Hwange Colliery Company Limited, Makomo Resources, Zimbabwe Power Company, OK Zimbabwe, non-governmental organisations and small to medium entrepreneurs.
FedEx Express recently launched a product called Tobacco Express which enables tobacco samples from selected farmers to be sent out of the country to various potential customers, contributing to the nation’s export initiative.
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Bongani Ndlovu