Farai Mabeza, Senior Staff Writer 
BUSINESS leaders in Zambia have hailed Zimbabwean manufacturing companies’ recent visit to their northern neighbour, saying it was a great initiative to boost economic ties between the two countries.
The visit, which targeted the mineral rich province of Copperbelt, was organised by trade development and promotion body, ZimTrade, last week.
Kitwe district Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice president Emmanuel Mbambiko said members of his organisation would organise a reciprocal tour to Zimbabwe in search of more investment and partnership opportunities.
Allan Majuru, ZimTrade chief executive officer.
“As a chamber and as a business community we are really looking forward to getting connected so that we can do business together. As neighbours when we do things together the success becomes much more pronounced, when we pull in different directions the enemy finds it easier to penetrate and divide us. We cannot afford to live apart.
“Whatever we do, before we think of outsiders, the first port of call must be our neighbour. Why can’t I get it from Zimbabwe, why can’t I get it from Zambia? Only when our neighbours do not have the products in question shall we go out,” Mbambiko told a business conference during the trade mission.
Kitwe mayor Mpansa Mwaya said the visit would provide a great stimulus for business between the two countries.
“As Kitwe, we are going to be in partnerships from here onwards. From the Zimbabwean companies that have come, we can see that there are a lot of strategic partnerships that can be formed. Kitwe is a mining town. We have the biggest mining companies such as Mopani Copper Mines. Most of the companies that have come are manufacturers and that means a lot of things to us,” Mwaya said.
She said there was a need for more such interactions.
“If we could have more of such arrangements, it could be yearly or quarterly, that would enhance a lot of the relations. Zimbabwe is just like Zambia; we are connected by the Zambezi River.
“We are greatly honoured that Zimbabwe took this initiative and definitely, we want to emulate this kind gesture and come to Zimbabwe,” Mwaya said.
An executive with the Zambian Acton group of companies, Dimitri Klironomos, said he looked forward to new business and investments with Zimbabwean companies.
“They (the businesses) have taken the first step, they have come to Zambia. We will see what is on offer and what communication is there and then the next step is taken. I am encouraged that we see something like this… this is the first time I have ever seen any delegation coming from Zimbabwe.
“There is a lot of talent in Zambia, a lot of very smart people that are looking at expanding their horizons and if the conditions are right then Zimbabwe is a very good destination,” Klironomos told The Financial Gazette.
Zimbabwe is Zambia’s largest trading partner in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.
The ZimTrade outward trade mission came just two months after Zambia’s Agricultural and Commercial Show where more than 25 Zimbabwean companies including SMEs, youth and women-led businesses, showcased their products.
Zimbabwean companies that participated in the Kitwe mission were drawn from mining and mining supplies sectors including those dealing in protective clothing and gear, corporate wear, machinery and machinery spares, refractory supplies, software systems, fire engineering services, engineering services as well as packaging.
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