admin
Business Reporter
NATIONAL trade development and promotion agency, ZimTrade, is gearing up for its annual Zimbabwe Exporters Week, a premier event aimed at fostering export growth in the country.
Scheduled for October 14-18, 2024 in Bulawayo, the event will have a dynamic programme line up, including workshops, exhibitions, seminars, networking opportunities and insightful company visits.
The event is in tandem with ZimTrade’s goal of promoting Zimbabwean exports into various markets through creating avenues and networks at trade fairs across the world.
The exporters’ week will start with a digital skills training session in partnership with Google Africa on October 15, 2024. This training programme is designed to equip youth and female-led businesses with tools and knowledge to leverage digital platforms for business growth.
Another key highlight of this year’s event is the Buyers Shop at the Zim Seminar to be held during the exporters’ week, which will provide a platform for local businesses to connect with international buyers and explore potential export opportunities in different markets.
Buyers from countries such as Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Namibia and UK, are expected to grace this year’s event.
The Exporters Conference and Awards, which is the main event, will take place on October 17under the theme “Qala, Tanga, Start.
“President Mnangagwa will be the guest of honour at the event, and is expected to provide valuable insights into the Government’s vision for export-led growth and the measures being taken by the Government to support Zimbabwean businesses.
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.
This will also be a chance for local exporters to engage in business-to-business meetings with buyers from the region and beyond.
According to ZimTrade chairman Dr Kupukile Mlambo, the re-branding 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.
Dr Mlambo emphasised the importance of fostering dialogue, linkages, and partnerships between delegates and business leaders.
“By addressing industry-specific challenges, we aim to produce actionable resolutions that will inform our future activities and improve Zimbabwe’s export capacity, by working together, we can drive Zimbabwe’s export growth and contribute to the country’s economic development,” he added.
According to ZimTrade, local businesses should take advantage and participate in the event so they can gain valuable insights into international markets, establish new partnerships, and expand their export reach.
The conference is also key in supporting some of the existing ZimTrade projects such as the Eagles Nest and Next She Exporter which have successfully capacitated female and youth-led businesses to export into the region and beyond.
Key outcomes from issues raised during the programme will be used to produce industry-driven solutions.
These resolutions will inform engagement activities that the national trade development and promotion organisation will use to facilitate improving Zimbabwe’s export capacity and the ease of doing export business.
Online Reporter