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Nobleman Runyanga
Correspondent
Last Saturday, the country’s five-day premier exhibition, the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), came to an end. And what a different event it was from its previous editions!
Those who follow the ZITF Company, the organisers of the event, on most of its social media handles could have noticed that last year, the company’s chief executive, Dr Nicholas Ndebele, and his team encamped in Harare ahead of the ZITF2022 to solicit for business among Harare-based businesses.
Many people read the move as desperation on the part of the company.
Some even laughed when the team knocked on foreign embassy gates in search of business. The team was in Harare again this year.
The ZITF Company and the trade fair are in place to promote investments and trade with regional and international partners through providing an event where both local and foreign companies showcase their products and services.
Prior to the 2000 land reform programme and the consequent slapping of sanctions on the country by the West for daring to reclaim its heritage, many countries and companies formed a significant portion of the ZITF exhibitors.
With the advent of sanctions, many pulled out, not because of something that the ZITF Company did wrong, but out of fear of punishment from the bullying US government. Over the years, it became the norm that only a handful of foreign exhibitors, mostly from the region participated in the trade fair.
After 20 years, to most people this became the norm.
Back in 2017, some people mocked that this unusual scenario had reduced the trade fair into a flea market of some kind.
Only those who understand President Mnangagwa’s engagement and re-engagement foreign policy and its emphasis on economic diplomacy would appreciate why Dr Ndebele and his team drove from one embassy gate to another engaging envoys and their teams to revive the relationships of the bygone years for the mutual and economic benefit of Zimbabweans and their home countries.
Only those who appreciate the President’s economic diplomacy drive understand why envoys such as Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Senegal, Mali, Guinea and the Gambia, James Maridadi, has broken new ground by pushing uniquely Zimbabwean products such as Schweppes Zimbabwe’s Mazoe Orange crush and SeedCo’s white maize seed in West Africa.
The ZITF Company’s efforts were really worth it. For example, this edition of the event had 21 countries exhibiting, 31 percent jump from the 16 which participated the previous year.
The total number of exhibitors also jumped by 27 percent from 420 in 2022 to 533 in 2023.
Only those who understand where President Mnangagwa intends to take this country socio-economically would fully appreciate why the ZITF Company organised the inaugural Connect Africa Symposium under the theme; “Unlocking Africa’s potential, innovation, competitiveness and sustainable development.”
It was not a random decision to have the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretary General, Wamkele Mene and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Zimbabwe Economic Advisor, Ojijo Odhiambo, as some of the speakers at the concurrent event.
It is good to trade with blocs such as the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom (UK), Australia etc, but it is great to do business with Africa and take advantage of the huge market that the continent’s 1,4 billion people present.
It is not just about the huge continental population but also the removal of the traditional barriers to trade among African countries which makes it imperative for any African country to seek to make the most of the AfCFTA to ramp up foreign trade, boost its economy and improve the quality of life of its people.
Perhaps the highlight of this year’s ZITF was the participation by those countries which were at the forefront of blindly joining the US in sanctioning Zimbabwe over a matter in which they were not wronged. It was refreshing to see the EU delegation taking up a stand and participating in the trade fair as an exhibitor.
These missions did not just dispatch their staff to Bulawayo to their stands, while ambassadors remained in their air conditioned offices in Harare.
The ambassadors travelled to Bulawayo to demonstrate their commitment to re-engaging with Zimbabwe for the benefit of Zimbabweans and their own people through trade.
It was music to the ears of many progressive Zimbabweans when EU head of delegation, Jobst von Kirchmann tweeted: “Excited to be heading to Bulawayo to attend the nation’s largest international fair: ZITF2023! This is the first time the EU will be exhibiting as Team Europe in one big stand to promote trade and investment.”
He was to tweet again during the trade fair about welcoming Vice President Constantino Chiwenga at the EU stand.
He said “We discussed the EU’s strong commitment of supporting Zimbabwe’s economic development and our shared interest in increasing trade between our two regions.”
Even Australia which imposed sanctions against Zimbabwe in a bilateral issue between Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom (UK) also crept out of the woodwork as many countries across the globe are slowly realising that they are missing out on forging economic and diplomatic ties with Zimbabwe by continuing to follow the US’ cue.
The Australian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Minoli Perera also tweeted: “It was a pleasure to attend my first Zimbabwe International Trade Fair and look for further opportunities for Australia and Zimbabwe.”
The Dutch embassy in Zimbabwe, like Australia, was also in attendance to “share information on business development and trade with the Netherlands.”
Even the Nelson Chamisa-owned, Tonderai Rutsito-run and American Embassy-funded online publication, TechMagZW, could not help but note that: “The ZITF has seen many international organisations exhibiting this year including the EU and the UK.”
It is clear that the US is weakening as the global geopolitical balance shifts to the East as many countries are ditching the US dollar.
The local beneficiaries of its regime change kitty in Zimbabwe are also seeing the light and admitting that the ground is shifting under Uncle Sam’s feet.
It is no secret that a large chunk of Zimbabwe’s economy is made up of the informal sector and the small, and medium enterprises (SMEs).
In the past, ZITF was regarded as the big leaguers’ event where small companies which were not able to export had no place, but not anymore.
The African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) Director General, Bemanya Twebaze acknowledged how the ZITF was providing a platform for trade among SMEs from different African countries.
He tweeted: “Thrilled to witness the rich display of African craftsmanship by SMEs from ARIPO member states at (the) ZITF. Kudos to the Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania embassies in Zimbabwe.”
The Dutch embassy also indicated in a tweet that it is “working locally to increase imports among SMEs.”
While opposition activist groups which masquerade as private voluntary organisations (PVOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) are busy fighting Government over the impending PVO Amendment Act, real CSOs, which partner Government in developing areas in need, participated at the ZITF.
Some of the CSOs that are funded by the EU such as the Zimbabwe Agricultural Growth Programme (ZAGP) also exhibited their developmental work under the bloc’s pavilion where they had the opportunity to explain their work and how it is benefiting farmers in sectors such as livestock.
In ZITF 2013 was held under the theme “Building value, Enhancing growth.”
The ZITF market marketing material for that year also carried an additional line: “Waving a tapestry of international business networks.”
This is exactly what the ZITF Company did this year.
Despite residing within the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the company leveraged the international nature of its event and its mandate to promote trade to work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to go beyond the traditional trade fair and push the President’s economic diplomacy thrust and his “Zimbabwe is open for business” investment drive.
Other parastatals should take a leaf from the ZITF Company’s example of pulling all the stops to support the President’s policies and vision in the course of discharging their mandates.
The company together with other stakeholders used this year’s ZITF and concurrent events to lay a firm foundation for the rejuvenation of the event.
This year it was the UK, the EU and other embassies participating, next year it will be the embassies and companies from their countries exhibiting.
This year Ambassador Pereira walked around the fairground visiting exhibition stands. Next year her country will have a pavilion full of Australian companies showcasing their goods and services.
Those who were dismissing the trade fair as a glorified flea market will have to think again as the showcase is on track to achieve its vision to “contribute significantly to the transformation of Zimbabwe into an economically thriving nation that is respected throughout the world and seen as a preferred place for trade and investment in Africa.”
Online Reporter