adminMining, Engineering and Transport (Mine Entra) exhibition ended in Bulawayo on Friday with organisers and exhibitors satisfied that the platform had given the mining and its related industries the impetus to continue leading in efforts to ensure that the country meets some of the targets espoused in the Zim Asset economic blueprint.
ZITF Company general manager Mrs Nomathemba Ndlovu said although the number of exhibitors was slightly lower than last year, the company was satisfied with the high turnout of returnee exhibitors and the business transactions achieved at the showcase.
ZITF Company are the organisers of the event which was held at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre.
This year’s three-day Mine Entra exhibition which started on Wednesday was held under the theme: “Unearthing opportunities”.
“We were happy with the turnout, with regards to space occupation we were up in terms of the square metres that were taken up. In terms of exhibitor numbers we ended up with 160 direct exhibitors and we are happy with that even though the number is less than what we achieved last year.
“The space that they (exhibitors) took up means that those who were prepared to be with us this year really wanted to make sure that their presence was felt so they took up much bigger space than they did last year. In terms of the business that was done, the feedback that we have received so far is positive,” Mrs Ndlovu said.
A survey conducted by the ZITF Company indicated that the amount of business deals brokered at this year’s showcase exceeded that of the previous year.
“We found out that the level of interaction this time around was much more than we saw last year and the feedback and the vibe, which was there shows that our participants are happy. Of course we are still doing a survey to find out how happy were they but we are confident we will have a good response,” Mrs Ndlovu said.
She said the three conferences namely the main Mine Entra, Joint Suppliers and Producers and Small-Scale and Artisanal Miners symposiums, which were hosted during the exhibition were very interactive and constructive towards improving the mining sector.
“In terms of engagement it was very positive and very constructive. We did acknowledge that there is quite a lot of work that we still need to do because of the issues that we discussed at the last conference that were still to be achieved but you could see that there were definite steps that were taken.
“Even though the results are still to come but you can see that there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes.”
The ZITF Company expressed satisfaction at the high level of involvement and commitment exhibited by the small-scale miners at this year’s exhibition.
“Over the past years there has been that shift of looking towards the small-scale miners much closer than we have been doing. Even the exhibitors themselves had more exhibits for the small-scale miners than last year.
“I think it’s a sector that cannot be ignored any longer considering the contribution in terms of the output that they are generating into the economy. It’s a sector that really needs focus. The Deputy Minister (Fred Moyo) was very involved in their activities because I believe his portfolio includes nurturing the small-scale miners,” Mrs Ndlovu said.
One of the exhibitors, Mr Tonderayi Gavu of Metro Solutions, told Sunday Business that Mine Entra remained a platform of effectively market mining products.
“We managed to get some inquiries but it seems (the exhibition) to have gone slightly lower than the turnout from last year, but it’s worthwhile. We were mainly there to protect our market share because we are basically a service provider for people doing gold mining.
“I would say it was a success in a way in terms of being afforded the platform to showcase our products and we also met new clients, people who are going into mining as well our existing,” Mr Gavu said.
Online Reporter