The ManicaPost
Liberty Dube Business Correspondent
BUSINESSES and institutions from Manicaland who are exhibiting at the ongoing 60th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo seek to maximise on the event, market their products and services and attract more investment in line with Vision 2030 to make Zimbabwe an upper middle income economy.
The annual event, which ends tomorrow, has been described by many as historic judging on the subscription not only by exhibitors from the province and country but regionally and internationally.
A total of 532 direct local exhibitors and 16 foreign nations are participating with the bookings reaching a 100 percent mark. Manicaland has seen institutions such as Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company, Allied Timbers, Africa University, Manicaland State University, Mutare Poly, and Magamba Vocational Training Centre among others attending.
The fair is running under the theme: Propagating industrial growth through trade and investment. Mutare Poly spokesperson Mrs Charity Mambondiani said besides building synergies, and marketing the college’s brand they were marketing some innovations that were made by the college from locally-available products.
“People are visiting our stands in numbers and it’s encouraging. We are using locally-available products and some innovations on heritage-based philosophy. As institutions of higher learning we use some locally-available products from Mutare like tomatoes and apples (which are in abundance) to make jam and other products and commercialise them.
As institutions we aim to contribute immensely towards the Vision 2030 of creating an upper middle class economy,” she said.
The college exhibited an automatic fire suppression unit which detects smoke when there is fire.
This innovation can assist organisations that deal with paper and fuel.
“The unit detects smoke when there is fire and that smoke go into sensors. The sensors send a signal to the processing unit or computer box and the computer opens a celenoid valve and when it opens the nitrogen tank release the nitrogen gas.
“It can assist organisations with companies that deal with paper, petrol, fuel and manufacturing,” said Mutare Poly Mechanical Department lecturer, Lawrence Jongi.
Mutare City Council public relations officer, Spren Mutiwi said they had already engaged potential investors who were willing to partner the council in tourism and hotel infrastructure investment in Mutare city.
“We have a number of investment projects which we believe we have potential investors to come on board. This is the premier show that brings local, regional and international players under one roof and for any serious organisation, this is the platform to meet investors and build synergies.
“We have high expectations and we are glad to announce that there are investors who are willing to come on board on critical areas in Mutare city such as infrastructure investment, tourism investment, hotel infrastructure, and hydro power and urban renewal. We believe the projects are going to come to fruition,” he said.
