tawandamusarurwa
Business Reporter
TWENTY-ONE countries, including the European Union (EU) delegation, have confirmed participation at this year’s edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), which begins this week, representing a significant increase from 13 countries last year.
The number of foreign companies has also grown from 16 last year to 25.
The EU delegation will be attending the fair for the first time since 2000, when relations between Harare and Brussels soured over the land reform programme.
However, individual states from the 27-member bloc have participated at previous editions.
Belarus, which is currently deepening its diplomatic and trade ties with Zimbabwe, will also be exhibiting.
The 63rd edition of ZITF, which runs from Tuesday to Saturday, will be held under the theme “Transformative Innovation, Global Competitiveness”.
ZITF Company chief executive officer Dr Nicholas Ndebele told The Sunday Mail Business that increased foreign participation shows that Zimbabwe is willing to engage and re-engage the international community to grow the economy.
“In terms of international participation, we have seen countries participating growing from 13 last year to 21 this year, while the number of foreign companies exhibiting grew from 16 last year to 25 this year,” said Dr Ndebele.
“This is on the back of the coming on board of the EU delegation, being our new entrant, which is going to be housed at the EU pavilion, where we will see countries such as Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and other such countries.
“The foreign participation element demonstrates that Zimbabwe has got opportunities that the foreigners observe and, of course, that Zimbabwe is keen and willing to engage and re-engage with foreigners to grow its economy, as well as strengthen its relations on the economic and political fronts.”
Preparations
Other countries also participating include Angola, Botswana, China, Japan, Iran, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, the United Arab Emirates, Zambia, Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
“Preparations for this year’s trade fair are at an advanced stage and we are happy with the current progress being made in terms of building of exhibition stands and other infrastructure-related developments that are currently going on.
“They demonstrate the desire of all the participants to raise the standard, which is exactly as it should be, because this is an international trade fair, so we have seen an increase in the number of exhibitors this year by about 27 percent to 533,” he said.
Through the ZITF, local companies have the platform to showcase their products to the world, which is in line with Government’s drive to promote both private sector- and export-led growth.
However, most critically, the international trade fair, Dr Ndebele added, will give local companies an opportunity to assess its competitiveness, particularly in the wake of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“This platform (ZITF) will assist our countries to assess themselves against their counterparts and prepare for the competition that is going to come from outside, as well as the opportunities that lie in other jurisdictions on the continent that we will be able to tap into.”
Separately, Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) president Mr Mike Kamungeremu said the participation by new entrants such as Belarus “is directly linked to what the Government has been doing in terms of engagement and re-engagement with the global community”.
“Previously, we have seen individual EU member countries taking part, but this is the first time that the EU itself is exhibiting.
“What that effectively means is that all the 27 member states that are part of the EU are well-represented by the delegation, and it is also confirmation that relations between Zimbabwe and the EU have improved, and that is connected to the engagement and re-engagement drive that the Government has been pushing over the last couple of years,” he said.
He urged the local business community to take advantage of the platform created by the trade fair to create fruitful business linkages that will unlock opportunities for strategic partnerships, funding and markets for locally produced products.
“As ZNCC, we have a business luncheon that we will be hosting at ZITF on Friday, so we will bring in representatives from the Government and local authorities; as well as experts from outside the country, some of them from Europe, where we will be discussing policy and international trade.
“We want people to close deals at the ZITF so that they can then take stock of the business that the country would have generated.”
The International Business Conference, where Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga will be the guest of honour, will run concurrently with the trade fair.
The VP is also expected to officiate at the Connect Africa Symposium, where AfCFTA secretary-general Mr Wamkele Mene is expected to deliver a keynote address.
Online Reporter