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Sikhulekelani Moyo, [email protected]

SMALL and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been urged to capitalise on different business fora which run concurrently with the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) to expand their business knowledge and strike deals with suppliers and buyers.

SMEs have become a huge economic force in the country and across the globe but most of them are still struggling to secure lucrative markets.

In Zimbabwe, the Government expects SMEs to play a pivotal role in transforming the economy towards an upper middle-income status by 2030.

This entails scaling up support for the sector through providing finance, working space to enable the sector to increase the production of quality goods and assisting the sector to secure markets.

However, SMEs have for a long time expressed their concern that many of them cannot afford to exhibit at the ZITF citing that exhibition stands are expensive.

It is in this background that Bulawayo Chamber of SMEs coordinator Mr Nketa Mangoye Dlamini said the trade show is running in conjunction with different business fora including the one which will be hosted by the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development.

He said the fora can be used by SMEs to gain exposure even though they fail to get exhibition stands.

“There will be fora running parallel with the trade fair. Also, the ministry in charge of SMEs holds a conference during the trade fair week, so normally the SMEs themselves are invited to attend the event.

“Within that conference, presenters and the general public will be discussing how to improve the operations of the SMEs, where can we get suppliers, how can we expand the market and they share experiences, challenges and they get ideas,” he said.

“So, it’s a platform to share ideas and experience and my advice is that SMEs should attend those forums so that they get experience from others.”

Mr Dlamini added that those who will fail to exhibit should use business days to see what others are doing, get fresh ideas and strike deals with suppliers and with markets.

“They should go in as business people and try to take advantage of the existing exhibitors. Exhibitors are both markets and suppliers, so we have those two together,” he said.

The 64th edition of the ZITF) is slated for next month in Bulawayo and it runs under the theme: “Entrepreneurship: The Catalyst for Industrialisation and Trade.”

The second largest city will host the annual prime multi-sectoral trade exhibition from April 23 to 27.

As has been the norm, the trade fair will run concurrently with other events, which include ZITF International Business Conference to be held on Wednesday 24 April, Connect Africa Symposium, ZITF Diplomats’ Forum and ZITF 2024 Charity Golf Challenge, ZITF Innovators’ Forum and Scholastica Expo.-@SikhulekelaniM1