ZimTrade refocuses to broaden export destinations, product offerings

LIVINGSTONE MARUFU

ZimTrade, the country’s trade development and investment promotion organisation, says it is shifting its focus  to diversifying  its export products and destinations.

This comes after ZimTrade, at its Annual Exporters’ Conference last week, hosted seven buyers from six different countries in an attempt to win them over to the value of other products that aren’t traditional products.

Zimbabwe’s exports are primarily dependent on tobacco and minerals, so changes in global prices can have an impact on the country’s export earnings. To make up for the shortfall caused by lower commodity prices, ZimTrade would like to see contributions from a variety of products.

Speaking at an exporters meeting held in the capital Harare, ZimTrade CEO Allan Majuru said: “This seminar is a platform for you, our esteemed exporters, to create networks necessary for the growth of our exports.

“This year we have brought to Zimbabwe seven buyers from six  countries namely the DRC, Ghana, Mozambique, Qatar, Sweden and Russia, a good mix of some of the regional and international markets that we are developing.”

He added: “These buyers are here representing a wide spectrum of sectors, including horticulture, processed foods, mining consumables and supplies and engineering services. This is in line with our strategy to diversify export markets and bring you new areas to explore and export your products.”

Majuru stated that despite the enormous opportunities, trade figures are still very low in nations like Ghana, Qatar, and Russia, particularly for value-added and non-commodity products.

Zimbabwe has made the Gulf and Qatar a new area of focus, and ZimTrade is assisting local businesses in taking advantage of the opportunities available there.

“As ZimTrade, we have carried out various engagements in all these countries to try and explore opportunities and build relations.

“The purpose of hosting this seminar is that we can bring you, the exporters, closer to international buyers, discuss business on a one-on-one, face-to-face basis, allowing you the opportunity to showcase first-hand what you have to offer as individuals and also just how great our country is in its various aspects,” he said.

Two outward trade missions were arranged by ZimTrade in the DRC in May of this year, with one mission concentrating on Lubumbashi and Kolwezi and the other on Kinshasa in June.

These missions ultimately culminated in the Zimbabwe-DRC Business Forum, which took place on the fringes of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show in August, after these outward missions.

“ZimStats data shows that from January to August of this year, we recorded a significant increase in our exports to the DRC, reaching US$19.1m, up from less than US$1.2m during the same period in 2022,” Majuru said.

ZimTrade also organised  an Outward Trade Mission to Accra in Ghana as part of their plan to expand into non-traditional markets and broaden their export offering.

Nine local companies   were given the opportunity to participate in the Zimbabwe-Ghana Business Forum in Accra as part of this mission.

The Mission provided a good platform for Zimbabwean companies to engage potential buyers directly and explore opportunities in the Ghanaian market.

According to the feedback from the participants, more direct business-to-business interactions between companies in the two nations can expand the market potential. The buyers from Ghana were invited in response to exporters’ requests to help facilitate these kinds of interactions.

ZimTrade also organised  an Outward Trade Mission to Mozambique in June 2023, with a focus on the Tete Province. The goal of the mission was to solidify the opportunities already present in this province, which borders Zimbabwe and thus presents a natural market for Zimbabwe companies.

ZimTrade also arranged a Business Forum in Harare earlier that month, coinciding with the Mozambican President, Dr. Filipe Jacinto Nyusi’s state visit.

A total of 184 participants attended the Business Forum with 30 companies exhibiting from Zimbabwe and seven companies from Mozambique.

“To show how important this market is, Mozambique is in the top five  export destination markets for Zimbabwe. Data from ZimStats is showing that this year, exports to Mozambique have increased  to US$260m in the first nine months of  this year from US$133m  in 2022,” Majuru said.

On the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Economic  and   Humanitarian Forum, ZimTrade also  led  the coordination  for Zimbabwe’s participation at a large-scale exhibition that was held in Russia where about 36 African countries exhibited and conducted meetings, while an additional five countries attended the plenary sessions.

The forum presented a good platform for Zimbabwe to strengthen relations with Russia and explore how to tap into the existing trade opportunities.

Russia presents an opportunity in the horticulture sector, as the import market is worth more than US$8bn.

Majuru said ZimTrade has also conducted and participated in a number of events within the European Union (EU) bloc in an effort to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the EU-ESA EPA.

Some of the events included the Ambiente Fair in Frankfurt, Fruit Logistica in Berlin, Agribusiness Trade  and Investment Forum in The Netherlands, and diplomatic visits to France and  Spain.

Majuru said ZimTrade was also targeting Sweden.

“Being in this bloc, Sweden is one of the countries we are targeting to export our horticultural produce, hence the buyer invited from that country. Imports of horticulture in Sweden amounts to more than US$2.7bn, this presents an important opportunity to us.

“Zimbabwe enjoys cordial relations with all of these countries, cemented by common membership in multilateral or bilateral relationships. I urge us (exporters)  to transform these relations into real business for the benefit of all of us,” Majuru said.