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Sikhulekelani Moyo, Business Reporter
THE Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) has urged Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to take up business opportunities at home including taking part in its forthcoming 2022 annual conference to be held in Victoria Falls next month.

Foot ball – Image taken from Getty Images

In an article titled “My football thoughts for CZI annual conference for 2022”, CZI chief executive office, Ms Sekai Kuvarika, said business operations were closely related to the standard international practice in football where national teams engage their best foreign-based players to the squad assembled.

This gives adequate competitive edge to the team, she said, adding that it was imperative for the Diaspora investors to interact with local business sector and cross-pollinate ideas.

AfCFTA

“As we plan the CZI annual meet up, we are thinking that we need our international-based players to come and join the national conversation to help us qualify for some continental and global competition,” said Ms Kuvarika.

“We are inviting the Zimbabwean business leaders, entrepreneurs, and policy leaders who are playing their trade beyond our borders to bring home some of their expertise and experiences to interact with our own at home so that we can shift gears to play in the big leagues at various levels.”

Ms Kuvarika said this year’s annual business conference will rope in international business people to share expert advice, encourage and motivate locals.

“Our top business leaders and entrepreneurs, policy thought leaders and analysts will make the line-up. We need to take our conversations to the next level,” she said.

Ms Kuvarika also encouraged the use of technology in business saying this will aid in connecting businesses globally.

“Internet and open trade brought the world to our shop shelves and onto our gadgets and the local consumer has become a global consumer while sitting right here at home. So, what does that mean for local and export trade?

“The game we are playing is very global whether we are playing at home or away,” she said.

Comesa

“The challenges are of a global proportion and we are not immune to them, quality standards and trade are both global agendas. Then we have the climate agenda, sustainability et cetera that have quietly become part of the competitiveness matrix.”

Ms Kuvarika urged businesses to take advantage of regional  and international trade bodies such as Sadc, Comesa and  the recent African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to expand the market for their products.

The AfCFTA is a flagship project of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which aims to boost intra-African trade by providing a comprehensive and mutually beneficial trade agreement among the member states, covering trade in goods and services, investment, intellectual property rights and competition policy.

Economic experts view the operationalisation of the AfCFTA as a bold statement towards deepening integration through improved infrastructure development, investment inflows and enhanced competition. — @SikhulekelaniM1