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Thupeyo Muleya-Beitbridge Bureau

BEITBRIDGE town is strategically located in a regional and international trade corridor and hence investors, both local and foreign, must tap into economic development opportunities that abound in the area, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Environment, Tourism, Climate and Hospitality Industry Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said this while officially opening the Beitbridge Business Expo at Dulivhadzimu Stadium on Saturday.

The three-day business forum drew over 100 exhibitors from Zimbabwe and South Africa to market Beitbridge’s investment opportunities.

It ran under the theme “Beitbridge 24 seven” to promote investment in businesses which operate throughout the day in line with the town’s transformation into a medium city.

“This expo sits well with our Second Republic mantra that Zimbabwe Is Open For Business and dovetails with our vision 2030 to attain a middle class economy by then,” said Minister Ndlovu.

“We appreciate and applaud companies exhibiting at this Expo for being friends of the development of Beitbridge and Zimbabwe. It is important to note that this annual event is a creation of locals that brings together traders, small and medium enterprises, government departments, parastatals and potential investors from within Beitbridge, Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe at large and South Africa.

“This is inclusive and progressive development that Zimbabwe is preaching, no one should be left behind. It presents a good environment for business to network and explore trade and investment opportunities”.

Minister Ndlovu said the Government declared Beitbridge a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) together with Bulawayo, Harare (Sunway City), Victoria Falls, Mutare, and Masvingo.

This, he said, was specifically done to see a lot of investment and development in Beitbridge as a hub of logistics for Zimbabwe and Sadc as a region.

“As such we invite both local and foreign investors to tap into the diverse opportunities offered in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and the open economy in general,” the Minister said.

The Beitbridge Special Economic Zone offers opportunities in the Agro-processing, Automotive Industry, Energy (solar harvesting), Metals logistics, Drugs, and pharmaceuticals, Minerals value addition (diamond cutting), Recycling, manufacturing, and tourism sectors.

The Minister also implored the local community to “think big” about the immense potential that abounds in Beitbridge town.

He said it was critical for business enterprises to establish linkages with the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) towards increased collaboration and more inclusive economic growth.

Minister Ndlovu said Beitbridge needs to quickly industrialise by taking advantage of the economic activities around the town and district.

“This district is one of the leading producers of oranges, beef and goat meat. Stakeholders and businesses should take time to think about value addition of these products by establishing processing plants for juice, beef or goat meat instead of exporting these products raw.

“More profits can be realised by value addition and let us establish industries. The business opportunities are huge and the Government will support all those who are into processing”.

He also advised local businesses to charge reasonable prices for services and products so that consumers are not overburdened.

The Minister said the Government will continue to support businesses and that its doors are open for engagement.

Exhibitions like the Beitbridge Business Expo, Minister Ndlovu said, lead to broader market openings, joint ventures, partnerships and investment attractions.

“We are proud that Beitbridge town is poised for growth as the Border Modernisation takes shape. 

“The massive development within the town is in line with the Beitbridge Border Modernisation project and clearly shows that this town takes the lead as one of the fastest growing settlements in Zimbabwe.

“A lot of good work is visible in town among them the dualisation of the road leading to the border post, a new fire station, a 11,4 megalitre water reservoir, a new additional sewer pond and new staff houses for border staff among other developments in the town”. 

Stakeholders described the ongoing Beitbridge Business Expo as a critical platform that will enhance the town’s economic and infrastructure development in line with its transformation into a medium city.

 Beitbridge Expo Chairperson, Dr Anna Muleya, who is a renowned businesswoman and proprietor of Lanaheil Investments, said they had received overwhelming support from many stakeholders.

She said more businesses drawn from various economic sectors were still joining in to participate in the event that ended on Saturday afternoon.

“The response is overwhelming and the expo is getting better with each day. We are looking forward to another successful episode since we started in 2019,” said Dr Muleya.

She said this year they introduced business workshops on women empowerment, and health updates and that the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) will be giving out information regarding opportunities in the sector.

“To add colour to the event, we are having church choirs and the best entertainment acts in addition to the exhibition competitions.

In addition, there will be a lot of prizes for the best exhibitors and a cookery competition which is a brainchild of First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa that is being sponsored by the ZTA,” she said.

Beitbridge town clerk, Mr Loud Ramakgapola, said the expo created a bigger platform for them to market investment opportunities. He said they had a lot of land for investors in various economic sectors.

Mr Ramakgapola said a number of institutions of higher learning had shown an interest in opening campuses to cater to the Beitbridge community.

“We are also exhibiting and we are getting a lot of enquires from businesses who want to invest in various sectors.

As a local authority we have come up with investor-friendly policies that ensure that economic development is not affected by red tape,” he said.

Beitbridge Business association co-ordinator, Mr Clevers Moyo, said the expo had presented a lot of learning experiences for small businesses.

He said the introduction of workshops and coaching sessions was a game-changer for those seeking to invest in the border town.

Mr Moyo said the town was awash with opportunities for the development of local tourism considering that traffic was gradually surging following the upgrading of the Beitbridge border post.

“Beitbridge has plenty of baobab trees and that presents a good business opportunity for most of us who are into the processing of by-products from baobab fruits,” said Ms Besta Tigere of Tity Nutry Baobab Products.

“We are going to extend our market share to shops in this town, where we have realised there is a higher demand for our products”.

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority spokesperson, Mr Godfrey Koti, said Beitbridge district had vast opportunities waiting for exploitation in the tourism sector.