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Oliver Kazunga

Senior Business Reporter

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa will tomorrow officially open the 26th edition of the Mining, Engineering and Transport (Entra) Expo that begins in Bulawayo today.

The three-day expo that is traditionally held at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre is running under the theme, “Accelerating Economic Transformation through Mineral Beneficiation”.

This theme aligns with the country’s goal of achieving a stable and sustainable US$12 billion output by the end of this year.

One of organisers of the expo, the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Company said it was all systems go with a total of nine foreign exhibitors from China, South Africa and Tanzania.

Mine Entra is renowned as the largest and most reputable expo in Zimbabwe.

With 25 successful editions under its belt, Mine Entra has established itself as a pivotal platform for industry professionals, stakeholders, and investors to connect, share knowledge, and explore innovative solutions.

The expo has gained a solid reputation for bringing together influential figures in the mining sector to shape and improve Zimbabwe’s mining landscape.

“Thursday (tomorrow) will see us host the Mine Entra Conference and official opening ceremony.

“The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, His Excellency Dr ED Mnangagwa will headline the conference and officially open Mine Entra 2023.

“The President will also be presenting awards to the winning displays during the event.

“Other high-profile speakers include the Minister of Mines and Mining Development Zhemu Soda,” said the ZITF Company chief executive officer Dr Nicholas Ndebele.

A total of 169 confirmed direct exhibitors occupied 7 929 square metres of exhibition space as at the close of business on Friday last week.

In terms of local participation, 60 percent of the confirmed exhibitors are coming from Harare while 31 percent would come from Bulawayo and the remainder from other cities.

“As part of the organisers’ quest to proactively facilitate compliance with the proposed local content thrust and beneficiation agenda, approximately 36 percent of the participating exhibitors will be local manufacturers of mining spares and mineral processing equipment,” he said.

The majority of exhibitors arrived over the past three days and are now working with their stand designers to put final additions and decorative touches to their stands.

“The city is also in a peak state of preparedness as the various stakeholders within the exhibition and business events ecosystem, including utility providers, emergency services, accommodation and transport services, have assured us.

“In addition to the daily flights to and from Harare, we are pleased to note the launch of the daily return flights from Bulawayo to Johannesburg by one of the local airlines.

“We are therefore hoping to see an increase in day visitor traffic from these two cities.

“This year’s tradeshow promises to be a game-changer for the industry focusing on showcasing cutting-edge mining technologies and innovations,” said Dr Ndebele.

Additionally, it said the revamped concurrent event line-up offers a myriad of business networking opportunities for various stakeholders.

The inaugural Lithium and Battery Minerals Conference and the Mining Industry Suppliers Forum will be held today.

The suppliers’ forum provides an engagement platform to the mines as well as downstream and upstream industries in the mining value chain on current opportunities and constraints in manufacturing, local content and procurement.

“On Friday, the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe will be presenting the state of the mining industry report during the mining industry stakeholders breakfast, which will be taking place at a local hotel.

“Small-scale and artisanal miners will also have a voice during their conference, which is organised in partnership with the Zimbabwe Miners Federation.

“The conference will delve into the challenges and opportunities present in small-scale mining, with a strong emphasis on promoting sustainable mining practices,” he said.

On the international front, it is expected that representation from Australia, Botswana, China, Palestine and South Africa will be on the ground searching for bilateral opportunities in terms of knowledge sharing, investment and value chain development.