By Owen Mandovha
The country is poised to reach the Seven billion United States dollar annual export target after a deliberate policy thrust to showcase the country’s trade and investment opportunities on global platforms.
A 37 percent leap in exports during the year 2021 to US$6,5 billion is so far the greatest feat achieved by government in such a short period of time and underscores the impressive work by the Second Republic to expand the country’s export base through the ‘Open for Business’ mantra.
The strong support given to exporting companies by Zimtrade continues to crack international borders to sustain that trajectory of export opportunities.
Mr Similo Nkala, an export promotion manager with Zimtrade said: “Zimtrade will up the ante going forward to continue the surge in exports that we have achieved over the last couple of years. This month a reciprocal visit by the Rwanda business delegation will take place to tap into the trade opportunities in Rwanda. We are looking at the Ghana market and the Kenya market this year. In Kenya a team is in that country to follow up on trade opportunities after the President visited the Central African country this month.”
Zimbabwe exports bound for the United Arab Emirates surged a massive 50 percent including horticultural and agricultural produce, hence the Horticultural Development Council is on the other tail end building local capacity to grow horticultural exports.
“The horticultural sector is also the driving force for exports growth and we have crafted a strategic master plan to expand the local capacity in order to supply the export markets, which have been created through showcasing the country in various markets around the globe,” Horticultural Development Council Chief Executive Officer, Linda Nielsen noted.
The last six months at the Dubai Expo have showcased the country’s export potential and opportunities which economist Persistence Gwanyanya concurs has been a game changer.
“It is by no accident that we have achieved this feat of growing exports. It is these showcases that have catapulted the country to attain these exports growth and the open for business mantra has been key to achieve that,” Gwanyanya said.
Zimbabwe is also set to participate at the Asia Pacific Leather Fair in Dubai and the Fruit Logista in Germany to explore the leather and fruit exports at the end of this month.
Other outward trade missions will see the country market its opportunities in South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Germany as government continues to take the open for business mantra to the world.
This is part of efforts to achieve the US$7 billion annual exports target as enshrined in the National Export Strategy.