Story by Stanley James, Business Editor
ZIMBABWE’S trade development drive is achieving the desired results in the wake of revelations that the country’s exports to Mozambique have grown by 80% during the first four months of the year.
Figures released during the ongoing five-day outward seller mission of Zimbabwean entrepreneurs to Tete province in Mozambique this Wednesday reveal that ferroalloys are dominating exports, followed by nickel ores, agriculture implements, tobacco, sugar, and macadamia nuts.
The data reflects that trade between the two countries increased to US$106 million between January and April this year from US$58 million during the same period last year. Mozambique is now the fourth largest export market for Zimbabwe in Africa.
Industrialists attending the outward seller mission facilitated by the government’s trade promotion agency, ZimTrade, are confident of increasing their export market share.
“We are here in Tete and we are very happy to be offering the range to farmers in Tete Province. ZimTrade has brought us and we have engaged and hope to engage further with the formal businesses in Tete. We are happy to be supplying the range because Mozambique has so much room for growth in terms of the scope of business as well as their proximity to the Zimbabwean market,” noted Zimplow Holdings Mealie Brand, Representative, Mrs Eunice Chivhunga.
“What we are expecting is to market our company and make contacts within the Mozambican market. We have already been doing work in Mozambique, so we are just looking to expand from what we are currently doing,” asserted Mamsen Engineering, Engineering Manager, Mr Ashraf Mohammad.
“Tete has grown a lot in the last few years obviously in the mining sector, our company is very focused on the mining and agriculture sector, so it is the perfect place at the moment,” he went on.
During the Tete province seller mission, local companies from different sectors are expected to engage Mozambican entrepreneurs on export opportunities, strategic alliances, and trade facilitation projects.
Statistics on the increase in trade between the two economies come after a successful visit by the Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi to Zimbabwe last month where several business agreements and trade transactions were concluded.
