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Sithandazile Moyo Business Reporter
Women in the small and medium enterprises sector have applauded the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Company for the successful hosting of the 55th edition of the exhibition, which saw a significant number of female participants. This year’s edition saw 47 women exhibiting under the Ministry of Women Affairs stand.
In an interview, Sithembinkosi Ndlovu, director of Ziyakhupha Gogo, a shoe and handbag maker, expressed excitement that their exhibition at the trade fair was a great step towards the growth of female entrepreneurs.
“As a group of women, we make shoes and handbags. We are happy that we got a chance to exhibit at this year’s trade fair as this has helped us to take and show our products to both the local and international market which is a great step for our business,” she said.
She said the trade fair provided them with a platform to market their products to the world and it helped them to meet potential investors.
Executive director for Natural Herbs for Life, Dainah Nkomo, said the trade fair was an opportunity for women to show the world that they can be successful entrepreneurs.
“This is a platform for us to show the world that we can make a difference in our communities through the projects that we do and that women also have the skills and knowledge to be successful entrepreneurs,” said Nkomo.
She said through such platforms women are able to penetrate the market.
Another exhibitor who identified herself as Kadzunge said she was happy to exhibit her products as it gave her the opportunity to meet potential customers and other people who are interested in her products for resale.
“I managed to meet with the customers and interact with them on what kind of products they want, as we are involved in the whole value chain from the crops and vegetables that we produce up to the products that are made from them such as tomato puree, jam and soup. We also managed to meet people who are interested in buying our products for resale,” said Kadzunge.
This year’s edition of the trade fair proved to be a stepping-stone for most female entrepreneurs who are working on establishing themselves in the economy and create a strong market base.
Online Reporter