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Prosper Ndlovu Business Editor—
ZIMBABWEAN companies should up their game to make an impact in the competitive export market if the country is to register meaningful economic growth, an expert has said. Speaking during a ZimTrade marketing and branding training seminar in Bulawayo yesterday, business consultant — Dennis Choguya — challenged the private sector to play its role in turning around the economy.

The attitude of murmuring and blaming everything on the government, he said, would not bring the desired economic transformation.

“Our companies should take the export issue seriously. Zimbabwe shouldn’t collapse because companies are failing to export. We need to make a case for exporting and develop ways of identifying export opportunities,” said Choguya.

Businesses cite increased production, labour, transport, water, power and regulatory costs among others as major barriers to growth.

They demanded a review of the legislative framework affecting investment and scrapping of bureaucratic procedures.

Quoting from Herbert Hoover, Choguya said economic depression can’t be cured through legislative pronouncement alone.

Rather, “economic wounds must be healed by the action of the cells of economic body, the producers and consumers themselves”.

The private sector should drive industrial turnaround, added Choguya, and “stop being negative but look for solutions”.

The marketing and branding strategist said the prevailing negativity about the country was partly to blame for the hostile perception about the country as an investment destination.

“Let’s stop this government this, government that, attitude and take action ourselves,” he said.

Choguya said Zimbabwean firms should not be content with servicing the local market only as it was too small to give the country enough earnings.

“Exporting will result in increased revenue and bigger market. It’ll enhance economies of scale, reduce reliance on a single market and spread the economic risk.

“There’s no need to sit down and die. We need to gain new knowledge and experience through global competition to enhance domestic competitiveness,” he said.

The manufacturing sector saw a drop in activity between 2011 and 2014 with about 4,610 companies closing down, resulting in a loss of up to 55,443 jobs.

Estimates indicate that more than 80 percent of workers are employed in the informal sector.

Zimbabwe battles an annual trade deficit of about $4 billion, more than the national budget, with imports topping an average $7 billion compared to about $3 billion exports that are mainly in raw form, according to Zimstat.

Choguya said local firms should adopt aggressive approaches to make a mark in the domestic and export market to survive.

He said relying on one market was risky as the company would collapse if that market fails.

“Those who rely on the Zimbabwean market alone are at risk because the local market is small. We need to rise to the level of required export standards and diversify our clientele base,” said Choguya.

The meeting discussed how the country stands to benefit from exporting to countries with high GDPs such as Europe, United States and those in Asia where demand for its products is high.

The country’s firms need to increase capacity utilisation, which currently stands at around 36 percent, and deliver products of competitive quality and pricing.

Presently Zimbabwe ranks higher in terms of cost of production and competitively lower in terms of products compared to imports.