Story by Owen Mandovha, Business Reporter
GOVERNMENT has beefed up trade facilitation capacity with its biggest trading partner South Africa in response to growing trade and investment enquiries from that country.
Amid an influx of trade and investment enquiries by South African investors and Zimbabweans based in that country, Zimbabwe’s Consulate in Johannesburg has beefed up its office in order to boost its trade liaison and facilitation capacity.
Consul General Mr Eria Phiri made the revelations on the sidelines of the 8th edition of the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards held in Johannesburg South Africa to honour nationals who are raising the country’s flag high in different business spheres.
“The Consulate has responded well in terms of ensuring that we help grow and facilitate trade between Zimbabwe and South Africa. We have done this by bringing two resource persons including from the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority in order to deal with enquiries by Zimbabweans based here and other South Africans as you know that the re-engagement and engagement policy thrust and open for business reforms has created a huge investment and trade frenzy between SA and Zimbabwe,” he said.
Several winners went away with accolades including former ZBC business anchor Tich Mawoni and they say they have embraced government’s open for business mantra to grow Zimbabwe’s economy.
“I am CEO of King Africa Sports and have been investing back home by creating sports deals with renowned foreign clubs to develop talent here in South Africa, Zimbabwe and the continent,” said Mawoni.
Organiser of the flagship Zim Achievers Awards, Conrad Mwanza said the Awards have fostered to entrepreneurship and hard work among patriotic Zimbabweans.
“These Awards have indeed helped Zimbabweans to be hardworking and patriotic by raising the flag high wherever they are based. As you witnessed that here in South Africa many young Zimbabweans are making a mark in various business sectors hence we need to recognize them because in the end the economy back home benefits,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s diaspora community has aided the country’s economic renaissance under the Second Republic with individual remittances breaking the US1 billion mark in 2022.
