ZIMTRADE to set up shop in Zambia
ZIMTRADE to set up shop in ZambiaBy Kingsley Kaswende in Harare
Thursday August 30, 2007 [04:00]
ZIMTRADE, the export promotion wing of the government of Zimbabwe, is working out logistics to set up a retail shop of exclusively Zimbabwean products in Zambia. ZIMTRADE chief executive officer Hebert Chakanyuka said the move was part of the government’s larger national export strategy and that his department was taking advantage of the popularity of Zimbabwean products on the Zambian market, especially processed foods.
“We want to ensure that we enhance the effectiveness of our presence in the market to set up a shop which will have Zimbabwean products in order to assist some of the companies that don’t have the capacity to export, as well as existing players,” he said.
“We are looking at stocking up processed foods. We have an edge in the Zambian market. Traditionally, most of our products have been consumed in Zambia and we believe because of that knowledge which is there in the Zambian market we will get easy acceptability of our products.”
Chakanyuka said the development would also be a huge boost for Zimbabwean small and medium sized enterprises that have had no knowledge and capacity to export their quality products.
However, the retail shop is likely to be compromised by the shortage of commodities in the country but Chakanyuka said part of the solution to the current problems the country was facing was to strengthen the export sector.
Zimbabwe has experienced a dwindling export sector over the years and the local market has had shrinking disposable incomes.
“The shortage of products in the country will not compromise the campaign because this is a temporary situation where all key stakeholders are engaging each other to ensure that they resolve the current challenges.
We believe that because of the hyper-inflation in this country every company needs to export to ensure that the capacity is restored,” he said.
Chakanyuka said Zimbabwean products would have no problem competing with South African ones on the Zambian market because “they have stood on their own.”
He said Zimbabwean products had competed well in South Africa and there was no reason they could not in their traditional market.
“We have had our processed foods going to South Africa.
There are some Zimbabwean companies in South Africa and nothing can stop Zimbabwe competing in other markets like Zambia where we have enjoyed a fair share of the market,” he said.
Chakanyuka also disclosed that Zimbabwean companies that participated at the recent Lusaka Agricultural and Commercial Show managed to generate on-spot business worth US$300,000 while orders under negotiation were around US$2 million.
“That on its own is an indication that Zimbabwean products have a share on the Zambian market,” said Chakanyuka.
Labels: EXPORTS, ZIMBABWE, ZIMTRADE
posted by MrK @ 4:38 PM
1 Comments:
ZIMTRADE chief executive officer Hebert Chakanyuka said the move was part of the government’s larger national export strategy and that his department was taking advantage of the popularity of Zimbabwean products on the Zambian market, especially processed foods.
Who said there is no regional market for regionally produced and manufactured goods?
I would much rather see Zambia see regional economic integration with all the countries surrounding it. That would do a lot to boost the national and local economies.
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