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Kudzai Chikiwa, Business Reporter
THE National Railway of Zimbabwe (NRZ) says it will use the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) window this week to build mutual relationships with mining and farming enterprises and maximise on the platform to market its inter-rail track business as well as freight services.
Besides freight services, NRZ has invested in production of mining and farming equipment at its giant mechanical workshop in Bulawayo.
The firm is already offering supplies to some of the biggest mining companies.
NRZ public relations manager Mr Nyasha Maravanyika said the parastatal was driving at making profits by taking advantage of the closure of companies that used to produce such equipment in the city.
“Many companies have closed and there is a gap in mining and farming equipment production.
“So, as NRZ we are taking advantage to bridge the gap as well as boost our profits.
“The ZITF is an opportunity for us to exhibit our products to big companies and advertise our equipment,” he said.
Mr Maravanyika said NRZ’s engineering teams in Mutare and Bulawayo were already increasing production.
The parastatal is also seeing ZITF as a potential platform to enhance its relationship with its customers who are into bulk goods production such as Zimasco, Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC), Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe and Tongaat Hulett.
“As NRZ we want to increase our core product mainly drawn from our marketing department where we deal mostly with freight services.
“The idea is to increase efficiency in operations in terms of freight services. We normally ferry coal, cement, fertilisers and wheat. This year’s exhibition seeks to cement our relationships with our big customers,” said Mr Maravanyika.
He said ZITF was a prime platform to market their technical college and museum to schools, tertiary institutions and other organisations.
“NRZ was recently given a go ahead to run a technical college besides apprenticeship so we are offering several technical trainings.
“ZITF is an opportunity for us to market this to the students and other relevant stakeholders since we receive many tours from these institutions,” he said.
Mr Maravanyika said their museum was a key facility in terms of knowledge tourism as it enables people to know their history and development in the country.
“Traditionally people come to NRZ as a last option but we want to make sure that we market our services and convince them that rail can also be a first preference.
“NRZ wants to take advantage of the road fare hikes to make more profits.
“As a way to improve the services, we have taken a step so far by opening the premier class to the general public during weekends to tour the Victoria Falls,” he said.
Mr Maravanyika said last year’s ZITF helped boost the parastatal’s income capacity.
The business already has projected more than 4,2 million tonnes of freight during 2019.
“This is an increase of 25,6 percent to the cargo it transported in 2018.
In 2018, the NRZ moved 3 367 073 tonnes. This is not the maximum capacity but we are limited by resources.
“We have more cargo to ferry but we cannot honour them all because we are incapacitated .This is why we are talking about recapitalisation,” he said.
— @tamary98
Online Reporter