Story by Josephine Mugiyo, Diplomatic Correspondent
JAPAN – PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has left Japan after rounding up his five-day working visit in the Asian country.
The visit by the head of state has been described as critical for the country’s economy following his pitch of Zimbabwe’s opportunities on a global platform at EXPO 2025 OSAKA.
On July 14, President Mnangagwa arrived in Japan to attend the Zimbabwe National Day at Expo 2025 Osaka.
Having pitched the country’s investment opportunities on a global stage at the Expo 2025 Osaka, which is being attended by millions in Japan, President Mnangagwa has now rounded up his trip in the Asian country.
Apart from being the guest of honour for the Zimbabwe National Day at the expo, President Mnangagwa also visited the country’s pavilion and those of Japan and some Southern African countries.
The President also met with officials from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which has been assisting Zimbabwe towards achieving sustainable agriculture to ensure food self-sufficiency, with the aim now to ensure the country is in a position to have surplus agricultural produce.
As he leaves Japan headed for Algeria on a state visit, the President’s message to prospective investors is clear.
He emphasised that Zimbabwe is open for business and is ready for partnerships based on mutual benefits and respect.
Zimbabwe’s Commissioner General for Expo 2025 OSAKA, Mr Allan Majuru is upbeat on the opportunities that will be unlocked following President Mnangagwa’s visit to Japan.
“The good thing is I think we are very clear in terms of what we want to do, because we came here to tell our story and also to tell our story and also to deal with the perception issues around brand Zimbabwe and I believe we have done it in a right way during this period and to have our President grace this occasion, grace the national day, the messaging from Zimbabwe was very clear. Looking at the business forum, this is the platform we used to in terms of business deals and the engagements went well, and follow-ups are going to be done in the areas of mining, tourism and agriculture. We don’t really get results there and then, but they will eventually start unfolding. With the expo in Dubai, a lot of things changed because the engagements were very fruitful,” he said.
Creating a conducive environment for new business remains crucial for the government and the Minister of Finance, Economic Development, Investment Promotion, Professor Mthuli Ncube says it is key for organisations like the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) to continuously work on ensuring bottlenecks are removed to ensure smooth flow of business for the prospective investors.
“There should be follow-throughs, be it business, tourism, but now we have set a new bar in terms of our presentations in advertising. Also, we should not frustrate our investors when they come, if there is anything we need to fine-tune, for example, at ZIDA we must do so,” he said.
President Mnangagwa is expected to be back in Japan for the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD ) set for August.
