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Business Reporter
Diversified business concern, River Valley Group of Companies, will this Saturday 11th May 2019, host its Inaugural international Business and Investment Summit at the Farm House in Gweru which is aimed at drawing capital and investment into the country and afford locals an opportunity to build synergies with international business players.

The conference will see captains of industry and business leaders from Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria, South Africa and several other countries converging in the Midlands capital to discuss business opportunities and experiences.

The conference comes at a time Zimbabwe has taken a new trajectory on the business front anchored on President Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is open for business” mantra which is the cornerstone on which the country is expected to achieve an upper middle income status by 2030.

In an interview with The Herald Business, River Valley Group Chief Executive Officer Dr Smelly Dube said the conference aims to position the Midlands Province on a firm pedestal in preparation of Government’s devolution plans.

Dr Dube said she also hopes local businesses will take advantage of the presence of international business leaders to build synergies that will help local companies in the long run.

“We are hosting the inaugural Zimbabwe Business and Investment Summit (ZBIS) which will bring together the doyens of African investment and leaders from beyond the continent this Saturday,” said Dr Dube.

“From the continent, we have secured attendance confirmation from the Pan African Leadership and Entrepreneurship Development Centre headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria. Brigadier General Dr Wallace Williams, the Board Chairman of the Pan African Leadership and Entrepreneurship Development Centre will lead a high powered delegation from Nigeria expected into the country this Friday.

“The Core Founders and conveners of the World Business Summit and Honours have also confirmed their attendance. We are also expecting business leaders from South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago among others.

“What we are doing is informed by the new trajectory that Government is taking in so far as devolution and the building of what we can say ‘provincial economies’ is concerned.

“We hope that by doing this, we will not only strategically position ourselves as a company, but more importantly also position the Midlands Province to the wider investing world so that the province can play its part in the economic revival of the country as enunciated by His Excellency President E.D Mnangagwa.

“You know that most local businesses are facing capitalisation challenges and our hope is they will take advantage of the summit to push for mutually beneficial synergies as well as partnerships that will then give them an opportunity to take their businesses to the international markets,” said Dr Dube.

In the 2019 National Budget, Government began the process of building provincial economies with a disbursement of $31 million to each of the country’s 10 provinces for the implementation of devolution and acceleration of reviving the economy through empowerment of provincial economies.