The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
AT least three local Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are participating at the ongoing week-long Maputo International Trade Fair in Mozambique, with the intention of promoting regional and global trade.
The female-led SMEs, ZoroNeMugoti, Jopa Investments and Budiriro Women’s Group have impressed investors and managed to secure European markets for their products.
The three are led by Mrs Zororo Taruvinga (ZoroNeMugoti), Mrs Violet Banda (Jopa Investments) and Mrs Tshiyiwe Sibhula (Budiriro Women’s Group).
The trade fair, which is running from August 29 to September 4, was officially opened by Mozambican President Felipe Nyusi on Monday.
Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprises Development’s Acting Manicaland Provincial Development Officer, Mr Gabriel Jaji who chaperoned the SMEs to Maputo, said he is impressed by the level of markets that the SMEs are accessing.
“We are focusing on female exporters this time around and we are saying if given the wings to fly, women can do wonders in whatever sector.
“We want women to contribute significantly to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” he said.
Mr Jaji said there is high demand of the SMEs products, resulting in them being forced to stop selling what they have on their exhibition stands.
“Barely a day into the expo, the Chipinge-based Budiriro Women’s Group which specialises in dried vegetables, cooking sticks, beads and beaded bags, got very good deals.
“The company is ready to come to Zimbabwe and buy 400 beaded bags from the group. We now have to make sure that we supply them with the bags they require,” he said.
Mr Jaji said there is potential to penetrate the European market.
He said Jopa Investments, manufactures of detergents, also made connections with Mozambican agents who are interested in distributing the detergents in that country.
Zimbabwean exhibitors are exhibiting their products under the ZimTrade banner.
The Maputo International Trade Fair is an annual multi-sectoral fair which is the largest commercial event done at an international scale in Mozambique.
It is running under the theme ‘Industrialisation, Innovation and Diversification of the National Economy.’
The expo seeks to expose the potential of agro-industrial production, thereby promoting business and investment opportunities.
The trade fair also provides a platform for exhibitions, seminars, promotional sessions and contact grants.
While Mozambican nationals connect directly with international entrepreneurs and investors, those from neighbouring countries are also welcome to exhibit there.
More than two thousand companies from across the world are exhibiting at the fair.
Countries that are exhibiting include Zimbabwe, South Africa, Germany, Botswana, Brazil, South Korea, Spain, France, Indonesia, Italy, Israel, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Portugal, United Kingdom, Rwanda, Tanzania, Thailand, India, Turkey, Uganda, and Netherlands, among others.
