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Bianca Mlilo, Business Reporter
PLAYERS in the leather industry will meet in Bulawayo tomorrow to deliberate on export promotion strategies as part of efforts to grow the sector.
Trade promotion agency, Zimtrade, is organising the meeting which is expected to attract more than 20 leather products manufacturers in the city.
In the past ZimTrade has urged small to medium enterprises in the leather sector to form clusters in order to make headway in the global leather goods market worth an estimated $100 billion.
The Bulawayo Leather Products Cluster was formed after a cluster management excellency training conducted by the Comesa Leather and Leather Products Institute (LLPI) in May 2013 in Siavonga, Zambia.
“Clusters play a key role in the growth, development and success of SMEs in the leather sector,” Dillon Kamutenga, ZimTrade’s communications manager said in a statement.
Zimbabwe’s leather sector was identified by the government as having the potential to contribute to the growth of the economy.
Zimbabwe main exports of leather products include footwear, upholstery leather as well as products such as handbags.
Kamutenga, however, said export in these has remained low in the past seven years compared to previous years.
According to Zimtrade, exports of footwear, leather articles and upholstery leather declined from $60.5 million in 2002 to $3.3 million in 2014.
derick.khumalo