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Vandudzai Zirebwa Buy Zimbabwe
The country’s driver of the production and consumption of local goods and services, Buy Zimbabwe, will host the third of its awards on December 11. The awards, which seek to continue the tradition that define and celebrate vision, the spirit of achievement and excellence in the economic emancipation of Zimbabweans will see Zimbabwean companies who are registered and operating in Zimbabwe competing in 13 categories.

The awards distinguish and honour locally-based companies who have contributed and shaped the Zimbabwean economy, and are visionaries behind today’s outstanding businesses. This year’s edition will be graced by the Chief Executive Officer of Proudly South African, Advocate Leslie Sedibe.

Advocate Sedibe served as the legal eagle for the 2010 Fifa World Cup organising committee. He also served as CEO of the SA Football Association during the 2010 Fifa World Cup. He has worked for the music industry (at EMI) and did a stint at the SABC. Leslie Sedibe is the main man behind Proudly South African, a project he says that’s all about national identity.

Mr Sedibe believes in the philosophy that “if we don’t make an effort to buy local, our countries will become nothing but warehouses for foreign goods”.

First conceived at the Presidential Job Summit in 1998, the Proudly South African Campaign was born out of socio-economic necessity to create jobs, under the leadership of the former South African President, Nelson Mandela. Through the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC), the Proudly South African Campaign was launched in 2001 and supported by Government, Organised Business (BUSA), Organised Labour and Organised Community.

The Proudly South African “buy local” campaign encourages the nation to buy local products and make use of local services in an effort to stimulate the local economy and help create jobs.

Proudly SA also promotes national pride, patriotism and social cohesion.

Mr Sedibe and his team at Proudly South African believe that “when consumers buy locally-produced products and support local service providers, the local economy is stimulated and sustainable job opportunities are created.

By supporting local producers and manufacturers (by buying goods which carry the Proudly South African logo or a “Made in South Africa” label) each and every South African can contribute towards creating a bigger demand for home grown products and services; stimulating South Africa’s economic growth; helping to prevent job losses and helping to create job opportunities.

Similar to Proudly South African, Buy Zimbabwe from its inception in 2011, has championed the cause of local businesses with the hope of elevating quality local products and services in an environment where foreign products, most of them sub-standard, where suffocating the local industry. This is the sure way that the economy can usher in an ecosystem of survival in a globalising environment.

To reinforce the initiative, Buy Zimbabwe launched the awards to recognise and honour local businesses that not only bought into the vision of reducing imports and creating jobs but worked towards it with diligence and excellence. The first and second edition of the Buy Zimbabwe Awards attracted close to 400 business executives, policy makers and members of the media fraternity.

This year, the awards will attract more than 400 executives from over 60 companies that are competing in the various awards categories. This bears testimony to the increased appreciation of the Buy Zimbabwe Campaign and its invaluable benefits to local businesses and the nation as a whole.

When consumers buy locally-produced products and support local service providers, the local economy is stimulated and sustainable job opportunities are created.

By supporting local producers and manufacturers by buying goods which carry the Buy Zimbabwe insignia each and every Zimbabwean can contribute towards creating a bigger demand for home grown products and services; stimulating Zimbabwe’s economic growth; helping to prevent job losses and helping to create job opportunities.