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Michael Makuza, Business Reporter
TRADE promotion agency, ZimTrade has urged local businesses to take advantage of the forthcoming 2022 Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair in Namibia to expand their reach and showcase Zimbabwean products to potential buyers in Namibia and to other participating countries.

Last month, ZimTrade facilitated the participation of 27 local companies at the Zambia Agricultural and Commercial Show.

Zimbabwe won the Best Recognition to International Exhibit.

At least 15 Zimbabwean companies are set to participate at the Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair set to run from August 26 to September 1.

Participating firms will be drawn from various sectors that include the fast moving consumer goods, horticulture, leather, clothing, building, agriculture inputs and implements, construction material, and services.

Companies will be selected according to their ability to supply quality locally manufactured products that can compete on the export market, the promotion trade body said.

Opportunities to invest are in mining, tourism, ­fishing, manufacturing and agriculture.

“The main objectives of participating at the OATF 2022 is to concretise prospective business leads identified­ during the market survey, to grow Zimbabwe’s exports to Namibia.

“The event will allow participating companies a chance to generate orders, and to showcase Zimbabwean products to potential buyers in Namibia and other participating countries,” ZimTrade said.

The Ongwediva Annual Trade Fair is a leading trade and exhibition event on the Namibian Business Calendar.

It is also the single biggest event in Northern Namibia that draws exhibitors, business personalities, government leaders and visitors from all corners of the country and in other countries.

“The trade fair will provide participating companies with an opportunity to interact with leading buyers in the market, which will unlock export opportunities in Namibia.

“A market survey conducted in November 2019, identified opportunities for Zimbabwean exporters and with the renewed energy from local industry to increase presence in export markets, participating in this trade fair would be a positive move in fi­rming trade relations with Namibia.”

Zimbabwe and Namibia have a bilateral trade agreement, and both are signatories to the Sadc trade agreement which all allow for duty-free trade.

ZimTrade said according to statistics from the show organisers, visitors to the event have grown steadily since its inception in 2005 with 11 000 visitors being recorded in 2019.

ZimTrade said since the Namibia dollar trades at par with the South African rand, that economy remains integrated with the economy of South Africa, as the bulk of Namibia’s imports originate there.

To that end, the trade body said firms that would be selected to participate should utilise the opportunity to carve a niche.

“As the market is heavily dominated by South African businesses, Zimbabwean companies must strategically position themselves for niche markets if they are to become successful.

“The country’s economy, which offers opportunities for Zimbabwe to supply products and services, is built on mining, tourism, ­fishing, manufacturing and agriculture.

“The mining industry consists mainly of diamond and uranium and the sector employs more than 14 000 people.”

Namibia is the fourth largest exporter of non-fuel minerals in Africa and is ­firth world’s largest producer of uranium with capacity to supply 10 percent of global output.

Other minerals produced in large quantities include lead, zinc, tin, silver and tungsten.

“These opportunities to supply capital equipment, electrical consumables, and materials used for processes that include aluminium powder, ammonia, anodes and cathode, caustic soda, coal and cobalt sulphate.

“There are also opportunities in Namibia’s mining sector to export services such as engineering, surveying, instrumentation, transport, plant maintenance, and environmental management.”