Online Reporter
Business Reporter
The People’s Own Savings Bank will host the third edition of its annual Exporters Seminar as part of its broader commitment to supporting productive sectors and helping Zimbabwean businesses increase their participation in regional and international trade.
The seminar will be held tomorrow at Cresta Lodge, Msasa, in Harare.
The seminar will also be live-streamed on POSB’s social media platforms for exporters and other stakeholders who are unable to attend in person.
This year’s seminar will be held under the theme, “Accessible Export Finance: Powering Businesses Beyond Borders,” and is expected to address issues related to financing exports, accessing new markets and credit guarantees, among other export-related issues.
The seminar will bring together exporters, policymakers, regulators, financial institutions, trade development organisations and other stakeholders to discuss opportunities and challenges within Zimbabwe’s export sector and identify practical solutions to support export growth.
POSB chief executive officer Mr Garainashe Changunda said the seminar provides a platform for stakeholders across the export ecosystem to share knowledge, build partnerships and help Zimbabwean businesses access regional and international markets.
“As POSB, we believe Zimbabwe has immense export potential across agriculture, horticulture, mining, manufacturing, tourism and services,” said Mr Changunda.
“This potential is not limited to large corporations. It extends to the small-holder farmer supplying a regional buyer, the SME producing a specialised product, the manufacturer seeking to expand capacity and the young entrepreneur using technology to sell services beyond our borders.
“However, what often stands between a good opportunity and a completed export transaction is access to the right finance, market information and practical guidance. We deliberately established this platform to bring together the entire export ecosystem, including policymakers, financiers, regulators, trade and market development institutions, as well as the businesses that produce, trade and carry the Zimbabwean flag into regional and international markets.
“Through the seminar, stakeholders can openly discuss opportunities and barriers, share practical knowledge and build partnerships that support sustainable export growth.
“It also gives businesses direct access to information on financing options, regulatory requirements, market opportunities and risk-management solutions,” he added.
The seminar supports the objectives of the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), which recognises exports as an important source of foreign currency, employment, industrialisation and economic growth.
NDS2 seeks to increase the contribution of manufactured and value-added products to total exports from 5,5 percent in 2025 to 18,4 percent by 2030. It also targets export growth of 10 percent and value-added export growth of 15 percent.
Discussions at the seminar will focus on access to export finance, regional and global market opportunities, foreign-currency support, export competitiveness, credit insurance, customs processes, trade compliance and opportunities within agricultural and other export value chains.
Key speakers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Afreximbank, ZimTrade, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of Zimbabwe, the National Competitiveness Commission, Agricultural Marketing Authority and the Horticultural Development Council are expected to share their expertise.
In line with the seminar’s theme, POSB will also share information with attendees on the financing solutions available to businesses involved in international trade.
These include a US$10 million line of credit established by POSB from Afreximbank to support qualifying SMEs operating in export value chains and a separate US$10 million trade finance facility fromAfreximbank to support qualifying import, export and other trade-related transactions through instruments such as Letters of Credit and international guarantees.
These facilities complement POSB’s existing pre-shipment, post-shipment, working-capital and asset-finance solutions. Exporters can also access multi-currency and foreign currency export accounts, telegraphic transfers, export-document administration, exchange-control advisory services, international guarantees and documentary collections.
The Exporters Seminar forms part of POSB’s broader commitment to supporting productive sectors and helping Zimbabwean businesses increase their participation in regional and international trade.
POSB is Zimbabwe’s only 100 percent homegrown savings bank that has served the nation by providing quality, affordable and accessible banking services for over 120 years.
Formerly the Post Office Savings Bank, POSB was established in December 1904 as a statutory fund to mobilise savings for national development.
