Online Reporter
Michael Tome
Business Reporter
ZIMBABWEAN companies in the agriculture and construction service sectors will next week explore new business opportunities in Zambia, as the country bids to grow exports and deepen regional trade.
More than 30 local companies will participate in a Services Business Mission to Zambia from June 09-11, in Lusaka, in an initiative organised by ZimTrade.
The mission, to be hosted at the InterContinental Hotel in Lusaka, will bring together Zimbabwean service providers and potential Zambian buyers, investors and business partners.
It aims to generate export orders, forge strategic partnerships and expand Zimbabwe’s footprint in regional value chains.
The programme targets export-ready firms operating in agriculture services and building and construction-related services, including small and medium enterprises as well as women and youth-led businesses.
The initiative follows an exploration mission conducted by ZimTrade last year, which identified significant opportunities for Zimbabwean companies in Zambia’s growing construction and infrastructure sectors.
Building on those findings, the agency has broadened the scope of the programme to include agriculture services as part of efforts to diversify Zimbabwe’s export basket and increase participation in regional services trade.
Under its Vision 2030 economic blueprint, Zimbabwe targets annual export earnings of US$14 billion.
To achieve this, the country aims for a minimum annual export growth of 10 percent for goods and 15 percent for services, shifting from raw commodities to value-added products.
Bongani Ndlovu