See you at Zimbho!

overheard a couple debating over which salad cream to buy between a foreign and local brand.
The husband wanted them to buy the local brand while the wife wanted the foreign alternative.

Naturally, I could not ignore the temptation to interject and interject I did. I had just come from a radio interview on Spot FM’s Morning Grill whose phone-in session attracted a lot of support for local products so I was pretty confident getting into the discussion with the couple.

I have come to realise that while Zimbabweans support local products, there are some fundamental issues that need to be addressed particularly by our local producers.

Consumers are particularly concerned with the competitiveness of local products and services.
This has a lot to do with the quality of the products and at times the presentation of the said products.

There is also concern over local producers that are profiteering at the expense of the consumer.
The reality of these concerns is there for everyone to see and I recall one caller during the radio programme saying that Zimbabweans are intelligent beings that cannot be taken for granted and I concur.

However, we should not let the bad apples amongst our producers spoil the good ones.
We have great local products, which are offering great value to consumers and it is positive to see that our intelligence is being proven by how we have now moved from lumping our products as inferior and expensive to distinguishing the good from the bad.

We now celebrate our success and look for ways to fix our problem areas. As Buy Zimbabwe we find it critical to celebrate the success of our partners at all times and to also assist in coming up with solutions when required.

This weekend is really about that. Last week I mentioned that Buy Zimbabwe, in partnership with the University of Zimbabwe, will be hosting the Buy Zimbabwe-UZ Sports and Fun Festival.

I also mentioned that the aim to provide an avenue for local industry and the country’s leading tertiary institutions to establish societal camaraderie in a way that promotes pride, wealth and jobs in Zimbabwe.

The sports and fun festival strives to promote physical development and social interaction between all our stakeholders in an affable and competitive atmosphere with a matter of fun and recreation.
Developed to boldly state “ZIMBHO” meaning “Everything is OK in Zimbabwe” the event seeks to unite Zimbabweans from all walks of life.

For anyone in Harare tomorrow your day should start on a fit note with the 10km marathon, which we are running from Africa Unity Square, up Sam Nujoma Street straight to the University of Zimbabwe sports grounds. Runners should be ready by 7.30am for the take-off of a lifetime.

This is a pride marathon and I would like to challenge every proud Zimbabwe to register with Wongai on 0772282362 or 04-252029.

At the university grounds we are expecting a huge turnout for the sports and fun festivities. Events to look out for are the 100-metre races, 4 x 100m relays and the exciting 4x100m 10kg baton race sponsored by Buy Zimbabwe partners National Foods.

We will also be having a number of customised events that include the Irvine’s Spoon & Egg races and the Schweppes sponsored 100m race.

For those who are more inclined towards ball games, we have the 16-team soccer challenge, basketball, volleyball, netball and tennis. This event is really for the whole family so we have put together a kiddies fun park to keep the little ones entertained whilst the adults go hard at each other in competition.

My encouragement is for Zimbabweans to bring their whole selves to the UZ sports grounds since this event is more than just about networking in a fun, competitive environment but it is also an opportunity for Zimbabwe to celebrate the pride of being “ZIMBHO.”

The truth is that we rarely do this and I feel this is a challenge that has been cast upon us to show our true mettlee as folks who are proud of what we do as a nation.

As a parting shot, on behalf of My Own Boss — Buy Zimbabwe edition season 4 winner Godwin Gogwe, I would thank Mr Comfort Dewa, chief executive of South African-based HR firm Comfort Resources, for donating a business starter pack.

This includes an Apple Macbook Air laptop, Samsung Galaxy S11 smartphone, business start-up software, 3G modem, five-page website with emails and free hosting.

Mr Dewa is truly contributing into building a future entrepreneur that understands the importance of using the right tools to get ahead.

To all Zimbho’s out there, see you tomorrow at the sports and fun festival. I wish to emphasise, the event is entirely free and should you wish to participate feel free.

Robert Garai Muganda is the General Manager Media and Communications at Buy Zimbabwe he can be contacted on: 0772 714 233 email: [email protected] facebook: buy zimbabwe campaign