Vusumuzi Dube
At least 95 exhibitors registered for the inaugural Masvingo Business Expo which began last Thursday with a number of investment enhancing institutions giving their presentations.
The Expo ran from November 17 to 18 under the theme, “Masvingo, The Investment Hub Towards Vision 2030”.
Masvingo Business Expo was expected to create a good interaction platform for private sector and policy makers to ensure a conducive environment on a win-win scenario and to present an opportunity for investors to articulate issues they were facing when they wanted to invest in Masvingo.
Speaking during a press conference the Vice Chairperson for the Expo, Andrew Chekani said they were happy to have at least surpassed half of their target of 150 exhibitors and hope to hold a similar expo next year.
“It is mainly an event that accommodates all business, the profit making and the non-profit making business. It encompasses those from commerce, tertiary institutions, from hotels and leisure and we have those from our line ministries. The main advantage of this expo is that businesses have serious opportunities of meeting co-stakeholders that are also in attendance.
“We really looked into having this in Masvingo because we said investment opportunities in the province are there but are not being showcased. So far we have 95 exhibitors which is really quite a very good number.”
“The challenge with something new is the perception that you don’t know whether it is true or not, whether it is some money making scheme or not and some had been chickening out. We started seeing most of them two days before and some were still coming in and paying even on the day of the expo.”
Meanwhile, chairperson for the Expo Clever Chingwara said a number of workshops lined up for the delegates were presented by different investment stakeholders.
They had several investment enhancing institutions such as ZIDA, ZIMTRADE, AMA and local authorities answering to questions and presenting their papers.-NewZiana
Online Reporter