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The recently-ended SADC Industrialisation Week (SIW) has been commended by businesspeople within and outside the country for having been a resounding success and having opened new frontiers for mutually beneficial cooperation.
Our reporter Wallace Ruzvidzo (WR), had an interview with Chilmund Chemicals’ director for business development Mr Nicholas Bhero (NB) whose company scooped an award as the best exhibitor at the SIW, to give us insights into what businesses derived from the recent six-day event.
WR: What were the takeaways from your participation at the SIW and being awarded as the best exhibitor?
NB: Our local production capacity is a prime example of the kind of industrialisation the SADC region needs to reduce reliance on imports and to build self-sufficiency.
That is one of the main points that was being underscored at the recently ended 7th SADC Industrialisation Week that took place in Harare. And going on to the issue of the award that we won for the best exhibitor at the conference, it was indeed an incredible honour for Chilmund Chemicals.
It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team in developing innovative, high -quality products that meet the needs of our customers. We have benchmarked ourselves against global standards and I am glad to say we are meeting those standards and this recognition reinforces our commitment to being at the forefront of the chemical industry in the SADC region.
The recent industrialisation week gave us an opportunity to network and also generate some leads for our business and these networking opportunities were invaluable.
WR: Who were you able to interact with and what are you looking to get from the interactions you had?
NB: We had the privilege of engaging with Government officials from SADC member states; 16 member states in total, and we engaged with industry leaders and potential clients from across the region. These interactions have opened doors to new partnerships and collaborations that will drive growth for our company and the wider SADC economy.
We also had an opportunity to interact with officials from Afrexim Bank to discuss financing of industrialisation. If you look at the quality of conversations stemming out of the conference, they were rich and informative. Now if we look at the contribution to the regional development, we believe that our participation at the industrialisation week demonstrates our commitment to the development of the Southern Africa region. By showcasing our advanced chemical products and processes and our technology, we have highlighted the potential for local manufacturing and value addition. This aligns perfectly well with the region’s industrialisation goals and it contributes to job creation and economic growth, among other social economic incentives we can think of. So, we do not take this initiative lightly and it should be embraced by all progressive citizens of the Southern region.
WR: Okay. Now what would you say of Government’s hand throughout? Be it in organising the SIW and the prevailing business environment in general.
NB: We appreciate the support from the Government of Zimbabwe, His Excellency the President. President Mnangagwa came and officially opened the event on Wednesday and he was underscoring the importance of cooperation, integration and competitiveness. He spoke about innovation and he was talking about Artificial Intelligence. You could hear in his presentation that he was futuristic.
If anyone could impress what he was saying, I am sure we will be able to achieve the goals that have been set and I want to single out the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Mangaliso Ndlovu and the Permanent Secretary, Dr Thomas Utete Wushe and the directors and staff. They were just on top of the game, running up and about to ensure we host such an event of that magnitude with high standards.
We really appreciate the great work and they have been instrumental in creating a conducive environment for businesses like ours to thrive. Of course in business you meet challenges here and there but it is everywhere across the globe and we commend their efforts in organising the industrialisation week.
WR: Going forward, what is next for Chilmund after having participated at the SIW?
NB: We look forward to continued collaboration to advance this industrialisation agenda. As a corporate, it is our mantra within our organisation that we want to play our part in developing our nation, in developing the region. If we can do our part at a micro scale, the efforts will be felt at a macro scale.
So if you, me and everybody else play our part, I am sure we will be able to grow our GDP. We will be able to compete at a global scale and as we move forward we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. We are very much excited and we are committed to investing in research and development.
In our organisation, we have a department headed by one experienced engineer, Engineer Zulu, and his team. They are running with the research and development unit of our organisation. And we would like to expand our product range and strengthening our presence in the start-up market. We have already started initiating the processes and we can only build going up.
We believe by working together with the Government, business, Chamber of Commerce, like -minded individuals and various corporates, we can build a more prosperous and sustainable future for the region.
Online Reporter