Online Reporter
Cletus Mushanawani in BEIRA, Mozambique
ZIMTRADE’S Outward Trade Mission to Beira which ended yesterday was a huge success, with companies from Zimbabwe and Mozambique expressing satisfaction on the business realised and high level of engagement.
ZimTrade facilitated the three-day trade mission which saw Zimbabwean companies engaging with their Mozambican counterparts in trade and investment discussions.
Zimbabwean companies also had the opportunity to tour Mozambican companies to have an appreciation of their operations, and also see which areas they can tap into to enhance cooperation.
Bilateral trade between the two countries has been on an upward trajectory, with Mozambique now ranking as Zimbabwe’s fourth-largest trading partner.
Exports from Zimbabwe to Mozambique increased from $397,7 million in 2023 to $487,6m in 2024, showing a 23 percent growth.
ZimTrade Eastern Region manager, Mr Admire Jongwe said the mission was a resounding success as they managed to leverage on the existing political goodwill between the two sister nations to facilitate the trade and investment engagements.
“It was a very successful mission, and the response was overwhelming. Companies both from Zimbabwe and Mozambique have been very supportive during the three-day event that we hosted here in Beira.
“Through our historical umbilical cord, people in Beira has an appreciation of Zimbabwean products and the three-day event helped the business community to reconnect and see Zimbabwe as a source destination of choice,” said Mr Jongwe.
He added: “Beira is teeming with Zimbabwean products selling informally in the market, and we need to formalise the trade of those products for the benefit of the two governments. The Mozambicans appreciate the quality of Zimbabwe brands, and most of them are keen to reach out to Zimbabwe companies and establish supply contracts. The comradery relationship between the two nations has helped the Mozambican business to appreciate doing business with Zimbabwean companies.”
Mr Jongwe also thanked the Zimbabwean companies who participated in the trade mission.
“We would like to extend our sincerest appreciation to all organisations that took their time and resources to explore market opportunities in Beira with us. Your tireless efforts in navigating a new terrain with huge potential have not gone unnoticed, and we are grateful for your commitment.
“As we move forward, we emphasize that the real work begins now. Following up on the contacts made and leads generated is crucial to attain tangible trade deals. We encourage you to leverage on the connections established and work towards securing partnerships that will drive growth and success.
“We look forward to seeing the fruits of your labour and working together to achieve great results. I hope that companies that did not make it this year event will be part of next year’s engagements,” said Mr Jongwe.
General Belting Holdings managing director as well as Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries deputy president, Mr Joseph Gunda said there are various opportunities in Sofala Province that Zimbabwean companies can exploit on.
“We had various experiences during our three-day stay in Beira, but overall we have seen that there are various opportunities in Beira. This is enhanced by the logistics system, the Beira Corridor, and we had the opportunity to visit the port, and we saw some of our products from Zimbabwe. There are minerals and other products being exported through Beira. We were happy to see that there are opportunities for us. A lot of us have captured some deals.
“You don’t win orders and deals on your first attempt. There is need of follow-ups as there is a lot of potential. Some of the bottlenecks in terms of movement of goods between the two countries have been eliminated. We encourage Zimbabwean businesses to come forward and see how they can penetrate the Mozambican market which is quiet lucrative. Because of the standard we have raised in Zimbabwe we have competitive advantage in terms of logistics.
“We are very happy with the engagements we have done with local companies, and we look forward that other businesses will follow suit, and will become an annual event. We also hope that there will be follow-ups as individuals so that we grow our economy through exports,” said Mr Gunda.
Sofala Business Council president, Mr Ricardo Cunhaque said there are a lot of investment opportunities in the construction, infrastructure, education, tourism, mining, hydro-power generation and agriculture sectors.
“There are a lot of investment opportunities in various sectors in Mozambique especially agriculture, mining and construction. We have a young population and there are massive opportunities in the construction sector as we need to build more houses and schools for our children. There is rapid urban growth in cities like Maputo, Matola, Beira, Nampula and Chimoio, so we need more houses, schools, roads, bridges and hospitals. This means high demand for construction materials and services.
“We also need to invest in our education so that we produce graduates with high technical skills. We also need investment in agro-processing so that we can utilise the vast tracks of land in Mozambique to feed our growing population. We are open to engage with businesses who want a win-win situation. We believe that with a clear vision and commitment we can make a difference and make our two countries big trade partners,” said Mr Cunhaque.
