Online Reporter
Makanaka Kamuti-Business Reporter
National trade development and promotion organisation, ZimTrade, is conducting a market scan of Uganda to identify export opportunities in the growing East African country’s market.
The trade mission, scheduled to take place from February 24 to March 5, 2025, will see several Zimbabwean businesses engaging with their Ugandan counterparts in sectors, including agriculture, protective clothing, manufacturing, processed foods, clothing and textile and building and construction.
The sectors have been identified as high-potential areas in Uganda’s expanding market, offering local firms a chance to tap into growing demand across various industries in Uganda and potential beyond.
The scan, primarily taking place in Uganda’s capital city, Kampala, is a part of ZimTrade and the Government’s broader strategy to diversify Zimbabwe’s export markets and unlock access to non-traditional markets.
This dovetails into Zimbabwe’s export strategy, which aims to progressively grow the country’s exports by a minimum of 10 percent annually, as outlined in the National Export Strategy, from about US$4 billion in 2018 to US$14 billion by 2030.
It also seeks to align with the economic integration goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area(AfCFTA). The AfCFTA, which aims to create a single, unified market for goods and services across Africa.
ZimTrade chief executive officer, Mr Allan Majuru, said the scan was part of activities designed to create strong linkages between local exporters and buyers across the continent.
“Our target is to gain valuable insights into the Ugandan market dynamics, consumer preferences and regulatory requirements that will foster stronger economic ties, particularly under the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) trade agreement.
“This knowledge will enable Zimbabwean businesses to tailor their products and services to meet the specific needs of Ugandan consumers and improve their chances of success in the market. The linkages that will be created out of this scan will allow Zimbabwe companies to engage directly with Ugandan distributors, manufacturers and other key businesses in Uganda,” Mr Allan Majuru said.
Uganda has become an increasingly important export market for Zimbabwe, given the significant growth in the country’s imports over the past few years. Uganda’s total imports rose from US$9,09 billion in 2021 to US$11,78 billion in 2023, a sign of the country’s expanding economy and growing demand for a wide range of products. Zimbabwean exports to Uganda have also shown promising growth, and the market scan is expected to uncover further opportunities for Zimbabwean products in this dynamic market.
ZimTrade urged Zimbabwean businesses to take advantage of the mission to explore new trade opportunities and strengthen existing trade relationships with Uganda.
