HARARE: Botswana is seeking to increase exports to Zimbabwe and local companies need to work on improving the quality of their products to achieve the competitive advantage over other regional goods, an official has said.
Responding to a questionnaire, the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC)’s acting Director, Corporate Communication Lebogang Mpete said as part of plans to achieve that, his organisation will set up business to business meetings for local companies at the upcoming Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF). The 57th edition of the annual business showpiece will be held in Bulawayo from April 26 to 30 under the theme: “Innovate, Integrate and Industrialize”.
BITC has mobilized ten companies from various sectors to take part at the fair. “The main objective of setting up business to business meetings for our companies at the ZITF is to increase Botswana’s exports to Zimbabwe,” revealed Mpete, adding that the development might open doors for local companies.
Mpete said BITC carries out market surveys each year, especially for markets in the immediate sub-region where it believes their prospects for success are greater. She added that these surveys are primarily meant to ascertain the demand levels in the various markets for Botswana products as well as logistics of market access, product support channels and entry strategies and regulations regarding exportation of goods into those specific markets.
In the case of Zimbabwe, BITC has identified that the (Zimbabwean) market offers many opportunities for Botswana companies and that there is potential for appreciation of all Botswana products. “Simply put, in Zimbabwe if you can price it well, it is a buy,” said Mpete. For the past 15 years or so, scores of Zimbabweans have been flocking into the country in search of goods ranging from foodstuffs to clothing.
Besides exhibiting at the trade fair to market local companies, BITC hopes to use the opportunity to identify possible opportunities for technical collaboration with other businesses from all over the world. According to the ZITF website, some of the exhibitors will be from Canada, China, Cyprus, India and Germany. Canada, China, Cyprus, India and Germany will be represented by individual companies.
“ZITF is one of the largest intra-regional trade fairs in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region and the event offers exposure to international networks from all over Africa and the rest of the world,” said Mpete. ZITF board chairperson Bhekithemba Nkomo revealed that 361 exhibitors from 20 countries have confirmed participation.
