Network organises investment conference for Bulawayo

The investment conference, organised by the Bulawayo Business Network, will be attended by Industry and Commerce Minister Professor Welshman Ncube, Mines and Mining Development Minister Dr Obert Mpofu, Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khuphe, Allied Timbers group chief executive Dr Joseph Kanyekanye, British businessman and real estate mogul Mr Nick van Hoogstraten, as well as officials from the British, American and Botswana embassies.

The conference is also expected to bring together Bulawayo business people, potential investors and financial institutions.

“We want to identify the ‘business problem’ in Bulawayo and create synergies among Bulawayo businesspeople through the facilitation of presentations and healthy debates,” BBN founder, Mr Fidelis Fengu told Business Chronicle.

He said the city had several growth and development opportunities but required expert business development services.

“If Bulawayo and the Matebeleland region are going to grow and make a meaningful contribution to the economy then a group of people need to be proactive to help make a difference.

“Bulawayo and Matebeleland have so much potential that needs to be intelligently harnessed and marketed effectively.

“Through the conference and other programmes, we intend to provide business development services while also linking Bulawayo based businesses with business development funds that come at reasonable rates,” said Mr Fengu.

He said conferences and seminars had been held over the years but all failed to yield results.

“The conference will create an action unit that will co-ordinate, lobby and supervise the implementation of the conference forward points.”

He said the conference initiative would create a working relationship and platform for all stakeholders to do the best they can to make Bulawayo an economic success story, thereby changing the fortunes of the country at large.

More than 90 companies have closed shop in Bulawayo and the few remaining ones are operating on “survival mode” owing to reduced capacity utilisation.