AT least 26 Zimbabwean firms participated at a two-day trade and investment mission held last week in Tete, Mozambique, organised by ZimTrade, the country’s export promotion body.
MTHANDAZO NYONI OWN CORRESPONDENT
Participating companies, according to ZimTrade, were drawn from furniture, clothing, engineering, packaging, pharmaceutical, construction, services and processed foods sectors.
The mission follows a similar initiative that ZimTrade organised in November 2012, when 25 local companies engaged entrepreneurs in Tete.
The objective of the mission was to facilitate Zimbabwean companies to further explore the market opportunities in the Tete region and participants were expected to strengthen business linkages with their counterparts in Tete.
“This included negotiating for supply orders, service contracts, warehousing space and joint ventures,” ZimTrade said in a weekly bulletin.
Activities during the mission included buyer/seller meetings and business networking events among others.
ZimTrade said both the 2012 mission and last year’s research initiatives identified trade and export-related investment opportunities for Zimbabwean companies in sectors such as mining, engineering, construction, agriculture (mainly horticulture) and tourism.
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It said although a number of Zimbabwean companies were already doing business in Tete, there were tremendous scope for expansion as well as room for new entrants as Tete is a fast growing coal mining centre.
Meanwhile, ZimTrade will host its Annual Exporters’ Conference and exporter of the year awards in October this year in Harare.
The 2014 conference will be held under the theme: “Creating brand Zimbabwe”.
ZimTrade chief executive officer Sithembile Pilime said the theme was motivated by the role that nation branding plays in promoting trade and investment.
“In an increasingly globalised world, the role of nation branding in facilitating trade and investment cannot be over-emphasised,” she said.
“Riding on the positive spinoffs from the successful hosting of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and the recent conferment of Zimbabwe as the Best Tourist Destination by the European Union Council on Tourism and Trade, the country can maximise its potential for growth.
