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Business Reporter
TRADE development and promotion body, ZimTrade, says preparations for this year’s edition of the annual exporters’ week have reached an advanced stage.
The premier event aims to foster export growth in the country.
Scheduled for October 14-18, 2024 in Bulawayo, the event features a diverse programme comprising workshops, seminars and networking opportunities.
The exporters’ conference, which will run under the theme “Qala, Tanga, Start” will discuss issues around the export business in Zimbabwe and key areas of interest to exporters.
Among these will be the need for measures to be inclusive in developing and promoting trade to diversify the country’s export basket by connecting with regional and global markets.
ZimTrade’s weeklong event is in line with its initiatives to promote Zimbabwean products for export markets through inward and outward missions and facilitation of local companies at trade fairs across the globe.
According to ZimTrade chairman Dr Kupukile Mlambo, the rebranding of the event to Zimbabwe Exporters Week reflects its expanded scope and focus.
“Previously known as the ZimTrade Annual Exporters Conference, we have extended the event to a full week to allow for more in-depth discussions and exploration of export opportunities,” said Dr Mlambo.
He said the event was key in supporting some of the existing ZimTrade projects, including the Eagles Nest and NextSheExporter programmes, which have positively capacitated female and youth-led businesses to export into the region and beyond.
The conference’s objectives are also consistent with the aspirations of the country’s National Trade Policy, which seeks to facilitate trade improvement and engender a culture of producing for export through growers of different capabilities
The week will also include a digital skills training session in partnership with Google Africa on October 15.
Google Africa initiative is designed to equip youth and female-led businesses with the tools and knowledge to leverage digital platforms for business growth.
The exporters’ conference is a multi-stakeholder gathering of delegates drawn from the private sector, public sector, civil society, academia, development cooperation partners and international experts, to proffer practical solutions that can be implemented to catapult Zimbabwe’s exports.
Buyers from countries such as Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Namibia and UK, are expected to attend. The event will also incorporate industry experts, policymakers, and business leaders, to discuss strategies for increasing exports and achieving the national target of US$7 billion by 2023 and US$14 billion by 2030.
Notable among the export movers in recent times are blueberry exports which are continuing on a growth trajectory, and the government has since set a target to achieve a 30 percent annual growth rate in the horticultural sector by 2030.
The Government has been deploying trade attachees to several countries in recent years to enhance the country’s export footprint. Deployments have been made to several countries which include the United Arab Emirates, Belgium, Brazil, Turkey, China, France, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo and India.
Online Reporter