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Oliver Kazunga Senior Business Reporter
IN a bid to create a platform from which businesses can network, business executive David Domingo has set up Information Communication Technology (ICT) firm, Africatrade.co. Domingo, 53, who is the chief executive officer of Belmont Construction said Africatrade.co would be Zimbabwe’s trade directory which would provide classified advertisements and an online portal for buyers and sellers from across Africa.

“Africatrade is an ICT company whose main objective is to get everybody networking. It redirects people to their main websites and ideally this platform will be accessible to all levels of business. People will have an opportunity to advertise an assorted range of goods and services,” said Domingo.

Of late, he said, a number of companies in the country have complained about low sales but Africatrade.co would offer local firms an opportunity to do business with their foreign counterparts.

It is hoped that where local industries have the capacity to supply the export market with goods and services, it would go a long way in addressing Zimbabwe’s trade deficit.

Domingo said Africatrade.co was operating from Zimbabwe and plans were afoot to expand into countries in Sadc and the rest of Africa next year.

“More specifically, Africatrade.co provides an Internet based platform where sellers (suppliers or manufacturers) can meet buyers (outsourcers or wholesalers) on an African scale that is business-to-business, business-to-consumers, and consumer-to-consumer,” he said.

Domingo said the Internet-based platform consists of sellers who may subscribe to host an online virtual storefront with business listings or profiles, products, and service displays.

Registration to the directory, which is accessible on www.africatrade.co is free.

“Sellers may also purchase an upgraded membership package to receive value-added services such as upgraded storefront management tools, featured adverts, daily deals, e-mail marketing, other marketing services, higher rankings from keyword search and other import or export business solutions.”

Buyers and sellers on Africatrade.co are expected to be located at different parts of Africa with Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and other English-speaking countries being among the leading nations.

Domingo said the buyers were typically small and medium enterprises engaged in the import and export business, trade agents, and wholesalers, retailers and manufacturing companies.

“We’ll employ a field sales force of 204 people in 51 cities across Sub-Saharan Africa, projected as of April, 2016.

“These sales personnel will be engaged in selling registration or membership packages, to sellers and buyers who want to establish virtual storefronts on the Africatrade.co website marketplace. The freelance sales representatives will primarily be on a recurring sales commission based remuneration model.”

Domingo said the company would employ different methods to attract potential sellers and buyers, registered users, paying members, online marketers and other ecosystem participants to promote the brand.

“Africatrade is an ICT company whose main objective is to get everybody networking. It redirects people to their main websites and ideally this platform will be accessible to all levels of business. People will have an opportunity to advertise an assorted range of goods and services”