LEADING pharmaceutical Datlabs (Pvt)Ltd is mulling plans to start exporting its products to West Africa as a way of boosting sales volumes and revenue, an official has said. MTHANDAZO NYONI OWN CORESPONDENT
In an interview with Southern Eye Business recently, Datlabs marketing director Clever Mugadza said they wanted to penetrate the West Africa market as a way of increasing sales volumes.
“We have been trying to keep afloat (and) we have introduced quite a number of new products in the market such as CamphaCare. We want to keep relevant in the market,” he said.
“We have got a lot of projects in the pharmaceutical products that are on the pipeline, but need to be registered first. We have been exporting to Kenya, Zambia, South Africa and Malawi. We are planning to export to West Africa, but we need to get the registration first.”
Mugadza revealed that the firm was hard hit by the liquidity crunch prevailing in the country. However, he expressed optimism that penetrating the West Africa market would keep them afloat.
Mugadza, however, lamented high operational costs and erratic power supplies.
In February, Datlabs’ capacity utilisation plunged to 40% from 60% recorded in the same period the previous year owing to depressed sales.
The firm last year launched a new Camphor Cream brand called CamphaCare following Tiger Brands’ withdrawal from having the local pharmaceutical giant produce and market Ingram’s Camphor cream in Zimbabwe.
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The company produces half a million jars of Camphor Cream every month, and is the leading Zimbabwean pharmaceutical and personal care company producing brands such as Cafemol, Panado, Solphyllex and Lanolene Milk.
It employs about 200 people in the Bulawayo factory and Harare offices.
The pharmaceutical company is on a recovery and growth drive after it announced plans to invest $2 million in the refurbishment of its intravenous fluids manufacturing factory in Bulawayo, which stopped functioning over five years ago.
The intravenous fluids manufacturing plant, which has been non-functioning for close to 10 years was from last year undergoing care and maintenance.
Intravenous fluids are administered directly through the circulatory system.
