Online Reporter
Judith Phiri, [email protected]
THE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira, has urged Treger Products to accelerate its expansion into external markets to help shift domestic industry from an inward looking approach towards a regionally and globally oriented one.
He made the remarks while touring Treger Products’ manufacturing plant on the sidelines of the ZimTrade Annual Exporters Conference in Bulawayo on Friday. The group operates five manufacturing divisions — Monarch Steel, Kango Products, Treger Plastics, Zimbabwe Grain Bag and Treger Harare.
The minister praised the company for investing in modern, knowledge-driven systems after being briefed on its operations. Minister Murwira described a knowledge-based economy as critical for sustainable industrial development.
“At the end of the day, it is about the people and the knowledge they possess. A knowledge-driven economy is a real economy. Zimbabwe’s economic philosophy is anchored on outward-oriented production. To grow this economy, we must feed the world.”
He said that for many years Zimbabwe had remained inward looking, adding that the domestic industry must now target external markets to generate new wealth.
Treger Group said that while its products had established a footprint in parts of Southern Africa, including Mozambique, it had not yet penetrated markets such as Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.
Minister Murwira said the company’s production figures showed capacity far beyond the domestic market.
“The numbers you are showing do not reflect an organisation that wants to feed Zimbabwe only. They reflect an organisation that wants to feed the region.
“To support such expansion, the Government has initiated a programme to establish warehouses for Zimbabwean products in strategic regional markets, beginning with Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo,” he said.
He said the initiative aims to strengthen logistics by providing improved storage and transportation infrastructure, making it easier for local companies to distribute products across borders.
The minister added that investment in logistics was essential for building trust in new markets.
“These warehouses will function like bonded facilities where Zimbabwean products can be stored and distributed from within the region.
“Under the proposed arrangement, companies will retain responsibility for their products while the Government facilitates access to infrastructure to lower market-entry barriers.”
He cautioned that a continued focus solely on the domestic market risked limiting growth.
The minister said expansion beyond borders was crucial for growth and encouraged Treger Group to capitalise on Government’s regional trade facilitation measures to establish itself as a competitive regional brand.
“It is in our national interest to see Zimbabwean products across Africa.”
The visit, organised by ZimTrade — the country’s trade and export development agency — underscores the Government’s broader strategy to promote export-led growth and strengthen Zimbabwe’s participation in regional value chains.
Meanwhile, Treger Products (Private) Limited, trading as Kango Products, won the Household and Electrical Award at the ZimTrade Annual Exporters’ Awards Gala on Friday evening. They also came second in the Engineering category through Monarch Steel, and in the Agricultural Implements category through Treger Plastics.
