Zimpapers Logo

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

THE African Marketing Confederation (AMC) will hold its first ever international conference in Zimbabwe this week after Zimbabwe won the bid to host the event.

The hybrid conference, to be attended by 250 delegates physically and 200 virtually, will start this Wednesday and end on Saturday in Victoria Falls.

It is being hosted by the Marketers Association of Zimbabwe (MAZ) for the country.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa, who is MAZ patron, will be the guest of honour at the official opening on Thursday.

The theme for the conference is “Astute marketer: Reshaping the future of business in Africa.”

Dr Lance Mabondiyani, managing director and chief executive for BancABC will be the keynote speaker.

There are eight other speakers from across the African continent.

AMC is the mother body of marketers’ associations in Africa and MAZ is a member.

MAZ chief executive Mr Gillian Rusike who is also AMC secretary general said the high-level conference is an important platform to shape the future of the marketing profession and industry.

“Marketing is supposed to be the engine of business, so the gathering is there to equip marketers with experience and make them ready to position themselves on the marketing brand,” he said.

As the world regains its feet after the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic, vigorous marketing at all levels and across sectors is critical for countries and businesses to pick the pieces and return to their former glory.

Every sector was hard hit by the pandemic which forced the world into total lockdowns thereby destroying business and it is up to the marketing field to help countries rediscover themselves.

Mr Rusike said global and technical trends are changing.

He said the conference will be for networking purposes and learning platform for members to share ideas