ZimTrade trains 30 university students on marketing and branding for exports

THE country’s trade and export vehicle, ZimTrade has trained about 30 student innovators, each working to transform academic concepts into export-ready products and services.

The training is part of ZimTrade’s flagship development programmes – Marketing and Branding for International Competitiveness (MBIC) which was hosted in partnership with the Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) Innovation Hub.

The primary objective of the MBIC training was to equip participants with practical marketing skills, enhance their understanding of export requirements and identify promising entrepreneurs for further export development support.

In their latest newsletter, ZimTrade said the training is part of its efforts to cultivate ideas into practical concepts that work to create sustainable sectors that propel exports.

“After years of developing a sustainable fish feed made from maize residues, 22-year old university student Tendai Moyo had mastered the science of her innovation but lacked the commercial framework to take it beyond Zimbabwe’s borders.

“Her experience at a three-day workshop in Chinhoyi, from 13 to 15 March 2026, marked a shift from technical development to market readiness. The workshop also served as a platform to assess how products could be refined, packaged, branded and positioned for regional and international markets,” said ZimTrade.

It said a notable feature of the event was the diversity of innovations presented, including antibacterial bioplastic wound patches, biofuel and biogas produced using termite microbes, logistics solutions, cordials, sustainable fish feed from maize residues, goat and beef sausages with natural spices, and red dust wine.
ZimTrade said these projects illustrate Zimbabwe’s potential in value addition and sustainable production, while the training was structured around three key pillars of export competitiveness.
“On day one, participants were introduced to export marketing fundamentals, including differentiation for value addition, competitive intelligence and market entry strategies. This session enabled innovators to identify target markets and position their products within competitive global spaces, read part of the newsletter.

“Day two focused on packaging, branding, and labelling for international success, with emphasis on compliance, presentation, and market appeal. For many participants, this session linked technical innovation to real-world consumer expectations and export standards.”

It said the final day covered digital marketing strategies, content creation, affiliate marketing, and innovation in digital platforms, empowering participants to use online tools to promote their products beyond local markets.

The country’s trade and export vehicle said all sessions were delivered by experienced ZimTrade associate trainers, ensuring both technical depth and practical relevance, while a key emphasis of the workshop was practical application.

“Participants were encouraged to consider scalability, branding, and export readiness alongside product development. For example, bioplastic wound patches were discussed as potential candidates for international healthcare markets focused on sustainability.”

ZimTrade said biofuel and biofertiliser innovations align with global demand for green energy solutions, while value-added food products present opportunities in niche export markets, particularly with appropriate packaging and branding.
It said unique products such as red dust wine offer differentiation potential in specialty markets.

“Through guided discussions, participants explored how to refine their offerings to meet international standards and consumer preferences. The training also reinforced collaboration between academia and industry,” added ZimTrade.
“This partnership is expected to bridge the long-standing gap between research and the market by aligning university innovation with real export opportunities.”

The country’s trade and export vehicle said through their market intelligence, industry linkages and export development support, student-led innovations can move beyond prototypes into commercially viable products.
While it also creates a pipeline of export-ready enterprises, where ideas developed in academic institutions are nurtured into scalable businesses capable of entering regional and international markets.

“This approach strengthens the commercialisation of innovation, ensuring that research outputs contribute directly to industrial growth, job creation and increased export earnings for the country.”