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Prosper Ndlovu, Business Editor

A TOTAL of 15 Zimbabwean companies, 10 from Bulawayo, are participating at the 2019 Botswana Global Expo underway in Gaborone and seek to secure new export opportunities as well as strengthen existing business links. 

The annual multi-sectorial exhibition is organised by the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) and this year’s edition is running from 6-9 August under the theme; “Harnessing the power of emerging markets for economic growth”.

The country’s trade development and promotion agency, ZimTrade, has facilitated the participation of all the 15 local companies, a significant increase from the nine that participated in 2018. 

The companies are drawn from different sectors of the economy. 

“A total of 15 local companies will showcase their products and services under the ZimTrade banner at the Botswana Global Expo, in Gaborone,” said ZimTrade chief executive, Mr Allan Majuru, in an earlier briefing.

“In line with our mandate of trade development and promotion, one of ZimTrade’s functions is to facilitate for participation of local businesses at regional and international trade shows.

“During these events, local exporters are presented with an opportunity to showcase their products and services with the objective of increasing their exports to foreign markets.”

The 10 participating firms from Bulawayo include; milk processing and beverages maker Kershelmar Dairies (Pvt) Limited, leather producer Millenium Footwear, steel solutions manufacturer Pump and Steel Supplies, tannery and leather goods supplier, Prestige Leathers and teak furniture specialists, Hardwoods for Africa. 

Also included is Nnino Ceramics, which does a diversity of ceramics wear, textile producer Pension Knitwear, women fashion and corporate wear maker Femina Garments, Good Hope Leather Products and Edgars Stores’ manufacturing unit, Carousel.

From Harare four companies are participating and these are Nestle Zimbabwe, housing cleaning chemicals maker Nelspot Brands, fresh produce producer Procitru Investments and food chemicals maker, Codhem Private Limited. Mutare-based Capital Timber is also participating. 

Zimbabwe’s participation at the trade show is guided by a market survey carried out by Zimbabwe in February 2018, which showed vast export opportunities for companies in the building and construction materials supplies, processed foods, mining supplies, agriculture implements and inputs subsectors. 

The exploration of these opportunities by Zimbabwean companies has resulted in an increase in exports to Botswana from US$19,5 million in 2017 to US$31 million in 2018, according to ZimTrade. 

Zimbabwe and Botswana are both members of the SADC and Comesa regional blocs under which they have agreed to create a conducive environment to promote the movement of goods and services across their borders. 

Mr Majuru has since urged local companies to also take advantage of the Zimbabwe- Botswana Bilateral Trade Agreement that was ratified in 1988. 

The pact allows for reciprocal duty free trade on all products grown, wholly produced or manufactured wholly or partly from imported inputs subject to a 25 percent local content requirement.

Given its geographic centrality within the Sadc region, Zimbabwe is land-linked and shares borders with South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique. 

This positions the country favourably for offering ease of logistics for trade within the region and beyond.

According to ZimTrade, Zimbabwe’s exports are largely destined for South Africa (44 percent) followed by United Arab Emirates (21 percent) and Mozambique accounting for eight percent. Exports to Zambia and Belgium account for only two percent each.

Zimbabwe’s primary export revenue is derived mainly from the country’s rich mineral wealth including tobacco, platinum, diamonds, gold, copper, nickel and granite. The country also has rich soils and has huge potential for horticulture exports.