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Prosper Ndlovu, Business Editor

THE Botswana market highly values Zimbabwean-made products and local companies need to up their game to tap into that export opportunity, a Botswana trade expert has said.

Although the two countries enjoy cordial bilateral and trade relations since pre-independence era, weak domestic production has over the years resulted in subdued exports to Botswana.

“Our market likes and is actually addicted to Zimbabwean products like timber. For instance, we know what Border Timbers and Wattle timber products look like by merely looking at it. Every house in Botswana is almost carrying timber from Zimbabwe,” said Mr Abuda Atelela, an official from J Haskins & Sons, one of Botswana’s leading building and construction suppliers.

“But where are the doors and other furniture products?” he asked in reference to the need for local firms to export more value-added products to the neighbouring country.

“We used to have supplies from MacDonald’s, Clay Products and Hogarth’s. We still need suppliers of cast iron pipes and fitting and clay products. You have the capacity as Zimbabwe, you still have the infrastructure and competent labour. You’ve to rethink, resurrect and export and come to the party,” said Mr Atelela. Market surveys conducted by ZimTrade have also shown that Zimbabwe has a prime advantage in exporting building and construction services/goods to Botswana. 

In view of its proximity to Botswana, he said Zimbabwean firms, especially Bulawayo companies, were better placed to saturate the Botswana market and compete with South Africa, for instance. Given limited industrial capacity in Botswana, Mr Atelela said their country was like a supermarket as it imports up to 95 percent of its products with South Africa as a dominant supplier. He, however, said the Botswana market was highly selective as it follows global trends in search of quality.

“Whatever products you push to Botswana you’ve to compete, they must meet standards and be certified by SAZ (Standards Association of Zimbabwe). I’m here to challenge you to come and grab the market that’s ready for you,” said Mr Atelela.

Failure to adhere to standards is a huge setback for exporters, he said adding that at some point a whole consignment of timber products from a local firm was destroyed after it failed to meet the quality test. Mr Atelela also challenged local firms to maintain originality of their products and avoid repackaging imported goods and pretending they are local. He said Botswana imports a lot of school uniform products from Zimbabwe but has noted with concern that some producers simply repackage imported products from source countries like China.

“Those kinds of products kill our name and we will have no option but shut the door for you. We import from Zimbabwe because we want your original products not repackaged ones,” said Mr Atelela.

He also said as suppliers to Botswana they were particular about consistency in supplies and would only deal with those firms that guarantee reliable production. Mr Atelela said the export market also needs producers that adhere to business ethics. He commended companies such as Zimplow, Monarch and Radar Metals for doing a good job.

“These companies are doing well, far better than South African producers,” he said.

Mr Atelela was one of the foreign delegates who attended last week’s 2019 ZimTrade Exporters Conference in Bulawayo. He also made a presentation at the buyers and exporters seminar on Friday. 

ZimTrade regional manager Mr Similo Nkala said: “It’s now up to us to resurrect and penetrate the Botswana market”. 

On the issue of standards and quality, SAZ director general, Dr Eve Gadzikwa, said her organisation already has a Memorandum of Understanding with their Botswana counterparts, Botswana Bureau of Standards, which should make it easier for local firms to penetrate the export market.