Chronicle Editor
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
PREPARATIONS for the 26th edition of Zimbabwe’s premier mining, engineering and transport showcase, Mine Entra set to run from 1 to 3 November at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre (ZIEC) in Bulawayo, have reached an advanced stage.
President Mnangagwa is expected to headline the event which will run under the theme, “Accelerating Economic Transformation through Mineral Beneficiation.” The showcase has been earmarked to feature diverse networking and knowledge-sharing platforms that seek to propel the mining industry as a catalyst for inclusive economic growth, now and into the future.
ZITF company deputy chief executive officer (CEO), Ms Stella Nkomo confirmed that preparations for the premier showcase were at an advanced stage.
“The 26th edition of the Mine Entra 2023 will be taking place from Wednesday to Friday this week. From an organiser perspective, we are ready to host the thousands of exhibitors, visitors and delegates who will be arriving from all over the country and beyond to participate in the specialised showcase. Our teams have nearly finished stands construction and have begun handover to the exhibitors who have and are arriving over the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) particularly suppliers of heavy machinery and equipment. The remainder of the exhibitors will arrive tomorrow (Monday) with only a few expected on Tuesday.”
She said 169 direct exhibitors have confirmed their participation in this year’s show, occupying over 7 929 square metres of exhibition space. The line-up included nine foreign exhibitors from China, South Africa and Tanzania. Ms Nkomo said last-minute bookings continue to come in and they were anticipating that the show would close at near par with last year’s closing 202 exhibitors.
“In addition to the strong local industry support, we are also expecting fair international representation at the Mine Entra exhibition and its concurrent networking events. During the Mine Entra marketing and promotional campaign we engaged selected foreign diplomatic missions based in Zimbabwe representing countries with thriving mining economies, and or strong investor pools for the mining sector. We enjoyed a positive reception and can confirm the presence of representatives from the following countries who will be visiting the show to scout for bilateral opportunities: Australia, Botswana, China, Palestine and South Africa.”
Ms Nkomo said the outlook for the show seems very positive and with the support of the whole mining industry, the ZITF Company was looking forward to a fruitful and successful Mine Entra 2023. She said throughout its existence, the Mine Entra has played a critical role in creating more communication and co-operation opportunities for domestic and international stakeholders.
“This is because the event has provided opportunities for players throughout the entire mining value chain including geological survey, exploration development, mining investment and financing, smelting and processing, mining techniques and equipment, service providers to the mining industry and many more. The 2023 edition is therefore especially exciting because of the high level of industry support and enthusiasm. This is evidenced by the following indicators such as high exhibitor retention from the pre-Covid 19 pandemic era (80 percent) as well as the fact that many of the exhibitors are taking up larger stands this year,” she added.
Ms Nkomo said most large local mining houses have dispatched teams to attend the show and participate in the concurrent networking events, while these include producers of platinum, coal, steel, gold, and lithium.
She said the visitor groups, which include a healthy mix of executives, mining engineers and other technocrats, would be coming from Gweru, Kwekwe, Hwange, Harare, Shurugwi, and Zvishavane among other parts of the country.
Several industry-led events, will be taking place concurrently with the show, these include the Zimbabwe School of Mines (ZSM) hosting the inaugural Lithium and Battery Minerals Conference on Wednesday.
The Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe will also be hosting the mining industry suppliers forum and exhibitors.
On Thursday, there will be the Mine Entra Conference and official opening ceremony which President Mnangagwa will headline. The President will also be presenting awards to the winning displays during the event. Other high-profile speakers include the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Zhemu Soda.
On Friday, the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe will be presenting the State of the Mining Industry Report during the Mining Industry Stakeholders Breakfast. Small-scale and artisanal miners will also have a voice during their conference, which is organised in partnership with the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) while the Mine Entra Charity Golf Challenge will bring the curtain down on the concurrent networking events.
Bongani Ndlovu