malvernmugadzikwa
Emmanuel Kafe
LOCAL companies say they are ready to showcase successes achieved under the Second Republic at the SADC Industrialisation Week and Exhibition (SIWE) slated for July 28 to August 2.
The industrial week will be a forerunner to the 44th SADC Heads of State Summit in August.
As Zimbabwe prepares to host the regional indaba, statistics indicate a steady industrial growth over the last decade.
The establishment of new plants and expansion of existing ones have led to increased output, recapitalisation and investment in new machinery.
Local products now make up over 80 percent of retail market offerings.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail at the company’s factory on Thursday, Blue Ribbon Foods general manager Mr Joseph Kamau said they were ready to display their achievements and establish connections with other businesses from the region during the SIWE.
“We are operating in all SADC countries and our mill is part of our company’s expansion . . . We have seen a significant boost in production, and the availability of local products in the market has improved greatly,” he said.
“Zimbabwe is very good in terms of providing quality agricultural products and what we are doing is to add value to the grain grown in Zimbabwe by processing it into edible products like maize meal and flour.”
He said they were working with local farmers to boost local value chains.
“We have put in the mills to support the farmers in Zimbabwe, and we have invested almost US$20 million into our factory, which has enabled us to employ 500 workers, who are benefitting from these investments,” said Mr Kamau.
“In addition to the workers we employ, the multiplier effect of upstream and downstream industries from our factory supports almost 20 000 people.”
Davipel Trading chief executive officer Mr Davison Norupiri, whose company is into dried foods manufacturing, said they were willing to look for partners from SADC countries during the industrialisation week. We want to make sure that we are capacitated in terms of manufacturing and agro-processing,” he said when The Sunday Mail toured the plant last week.
“Government has done a lot in terms of investing in agriculture, and being in the agro-business industry, we have now decided to gear up for the event and make sure we make linkages with our peers in the region.”
Olivine Industries country head Mr Noratam Somani said:
“We have plans of growing and processing rice here. We have also invested hugely in margarine, soap and baked beans. A lot of machines will soon be arriving and will be up and running by the end of this year.
“We have invested close to US$27 million in the last three years and we expect to take Olivine back to its glory days.”
Mr Somani commended the Government for providing an enabling environment for industries to grow
“We have had proper responses from the Government,” he said.
“Our company has about 32 products in its basket. We expect that going forward, we will put all those products back on the shelf for consumers not only in Zimbabwe, but also for the region.
“Our markets are also in Zambia, Mozambique, the DRC and Botswana.”
Online Reporter