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Harare Bureau

THE country’s trade development and promotion agency, ZimTrade, has increased activities to promote local products in regional markets ahead of the continent-wide trade fair scheduled for Durban from 15-21 November this year.

The second edition of the Intra-Africa Trade Fair (IATF), which is now being hosted by South Africa, provides a marketplace for business linkages among buyers and sellers in Africa.

ZimTrade is leading the development of the Zimbabwe Pavilion at the high-profile event with more than 30 local companies showcasing their products and services at the event.

Ahead of the event, ZimTrade is increasing trade promotion programmes to strengthen linkages between Zimbabwean exporters and buyers from regional markets.

Part of the planned export promotion activities include outward and inward missions, trade exhibition, and business conferences.

ZimTrade chief executive officer, Mr Allan Majuru, said planned activities will start with an outward seller mission to Kinshasa, which will be held back-to-back with a business forum to be held on the side-lines of ZITF next month.

“To create business linkages and establish trade, we are organizing an outward seller mission to Lubumbashi where local exporters will gain competitive knowledge and insights into the market,” said Mr Majuru.

The business forum that will be held on the side-lines of ZITF is a follow-up programme to the outward seller mission that was held in Lubumbashi earlier this year.

The delegation from DRC will also comprise of seven buyers and more than 15 companies that will exhibit at ZITF.

“We have since identified potential buyers from Lubumbashi and we are expecting that they will meet local suppliers on the side-lines of ZITF, making it easy for exporters to penetrate the market,” said Mr Majuru.

ZimTrade, together with partners, are also organising the Zimbabwe/Rwanda Trade and Investment Conference scheduled for 27-30 September in Kigali.

The event is expected to help strengthen bilateral trade and investment relations between Zimbabwe and Rwanda ahead of the Intra Africa Trade Fair later in the year.

“The conference will explore opportunities to further economic cooperation between our two countries and unpack all the available trade and investment,” he said.

“The conference will also provide a platform for local businesses to identify and build partnerships,” said Mr Majuru.