ZITF Company benefits from Govt’s re-engagements efforts
THE Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Company (ZITF) is using the Government’s international re-engagement thrust spearheaded by President Emmerson Mnangagwa as a springboard to woo more international exhibitors as it strives to enhance the global stature of its exhibition.
In an interview with Sunday News Business after a Press conference to announce the official launch of the ZITF 2020 marketing campaign last Tuesday, the ZITF Company acting general manager Mr Nicholas Ndebele said the international exhibition organiser takes President Mnangagwa’s economic and business-oriented trips with keen interest as they present it with an opportunity to lure more international exhibition.
“As the ZITF Company, we take keen interest into the trips that the President undertakes because he is doing that for the nation, for us as businesses to take advantage of such trips or such relations that are being cultivated so that we can also contribute in our own small spaces to the growth of Zimbabwe. So, as ZITF Company we regard that as a very important strategy that is quite relevant to what we do,” he said.
Mr Ndebele said by its nature, the ZITF is a platform to market existing investment opportunities in the country.
“We seek to provide that platform for more and more international participants because we believe that part of the growth of the country’s economy is investment and there is more investment from people coming from outside who want to take advantage of the existing opportunities. We also improve our own processes and possibly make ourselves much more efficient such that we are able to export and thereby contribute into one industrialisation and export substitution and these are the policies that the Government seeks to drive. So, wherever the President goes we take a keen interest to find out where the embassy could or who we could possibly contact so that we sensitise them about this platform, which is called the ZITF,” he said.
Mr Ndebele said the ZITF Company had already benefited from President Mnangagwa’s international trips and intends to build up on that going forward.
“The President has been to the UAE (United Arab Emirates) we saw their response. He has been to Belarus we saw their response and even as you visit the Embassy of Russia they always tell you about the Russian companies that are already in the country . . . Russia is quite big in mining so these are the opportunities that we always see that the President contributes,” he said.
Next year the annual-sectoral trade showcase will take place from 21-25 April and would run under the theme: “Augmenting Trade and Investment towards a shared economic vision”.
To date 171 exhibitors have already confirmed their participation by booking a total of 35 977 square metres of exhibition space. This compares favourably to the booking situation at the same time last year where 127 exhibitors had 31 584 square metres.
“Over the past few weeks, our teams have been conducting personal visits to foreign diplomatic missions in Zimbabwe to invite exhibitors, business visitor delegations as well as participants in the concurrent networking sessions. Encouraging feedback was received during the meetings, reflecting strong interest for both regional and international trade with Zimbabwe,” said Mr Ndebele.
Ethiopia, Japan, Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia have confirmed their participation while countries such as Belarus, Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Iran, Netherlands, Pakistan, South Korea, Spain, Russia and the European Union have expressed keen interest.
@DNsingo