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Prosper Ndlovu in GABORONE, Botswana

THE exhibition of high quality products and the huge presence of Zimbabwean companies participating at the 2023 Global Expo Botswana, which kicked off here today, has charmed President Eric Mokgweetsi Masisi.

A total of 23 local companies drawn from different sectors of the economy are exhibiting their goods and services at the expo and seek to leverage the platform to expand market footprint and seal trade strategic synergies.

President Masisi, who earlier officially opened the conference with a call for the scaling up of regional cooperation to unlock African economic transformation, conducted a tour of exhibition stands, including Zimbabwe.

He engaged with several exhibitors and admired their produce and displays, expressing particular excitement with leather products, agriculture and value addition thrust shown by Zimbabwean firms.

The expo continues up to Saturday.

Organised by national trade development and promotion organisation, ZimTrade, the participating local exporters would ride on the platform to discuss specific market requirements with leading distributors in the market.

This is in line with the new thrust to increase the footprint of Zimbabwean products and services in the region, through deepened linkages with distributors in the markets.

Participating at the Global Expo Botswana will also provide local companies with a window to identify partners, engage in business-to-business meetings and concretise on orders.

Commenting on the mission ZimTrade chief executive officer, Mr Allan Majuru, said Botswana was a strategic market for Zimbabwe with the potential for export growth hence the participation of local companies in the country’s largest trade fair will unlock easy access to the market.

“Zimbabwe has a good relationship with Botswana and there are vast export opportunities available,” he said.

“The first step in establishing exports to the market for any company is to connect with buyers, and we are confident Global Expo Botswana will provide that platform,” said Mr. Majuru.

The Global Expo Botswana is a premier international trade fair designed to facilitate collaborations and promote economic partnerships within the continent.

This year’s fair, running under the theme “AfCTA as a springboard for improved intra-Africa trade”, is set to attract exhibitors from other African countries and beyond, offering Zimbabwean companies with a wider network of potential partners, said ZimTrade.

With the AfCFTA trade agreement looking to create a single market for Africa, the participation of local companies at trade fairs taking place in the region encourages cross-border collaboration, exchanging knowledge and expertise, and promoting vibrant export businesses.

According to ZimTrade, participating companies are from sectors such as horticulture, leather, fast-moving consumer goods, clothing and textiles, building and construction, and services which are all low-hanging fruits in terms of imports to Botswana.

Local companies participating at the Botswana fair are drawn from youth-led and women-led enterprises, most of whom have participated in the export development programmes offered by ZimTrade.

With an array of offerings and innovative solutions, these companies are set to make their mark on the regional stage, showcasing their ingenuity and high-quality products, said the agency.

“Botswana is one of Zimbabwe’s traditional trading partners and local companies can take advantage of the proximity between the two countries to land products at a competitive price,” said Mr Majuru.

Botswana is one of Zimbabwe’s traditional markets with export potential in sectors such as processed foods and fresh produce sectors, agricultural implements and inputs, building materials and mining supplies.

For example, Zimbabwean companies have the potential to export mainly processed foods such as pork products, tinned foods, cereals, milk and milk-based products, cordials, biscuits, and sweets.

Botswana is also a net importer of fresh produce that local exporters have the capacity to supply.

Produce such as vegetables, bananas, apples, oranges and pepper can perform well in the Botswana market and local exporters can earn more if they value-add their commodities.

Local exporters can also leverage Zimbabwe’s global reputation of a producer of quality products as some local brands are already household brands in Botswana.