Botswana expo boosts brand Zimbabwe

The local companies showcased their products in the Zimbabwean pavilion under ZimTrade.

The expo saw the participation of some of the country’s established brands such as Tanganda, Cairns, Olivine, and Allied Timbers, as Zimbabwe walked away with the best international exhibitor award. The expo was also noteworthy for innovative upcoming companies from different sectors.

Horticulture producer, Simbarashe Usore of Shamwari Joe Produce, who supplies products locally through a major retailer, now expects to grow his market into the region.

“The beauty of ZimTrade is that it has shown the beauty of creativity of Zimbabweans. I couldn’t help but notice how a lot of the Batswana here were impressed by the creativity.

“That’s a big asset that we have, how Zimbabweans are pushing the envelope in terms of coming up with creative solutions and we need to ensure that talent in product creation is nurtured,” Usore told The Financial Gazette at the end of the expo.

“As it looks it seems the sky is the limit in terms of coming up with innovative products, which can allow us to regain that dominant position as the preferred exporter into Botswana.

“I see this as a very great opportunity to once again make inroads into Botswana and of course based on the inquiries and some agreements made, sales done here, that is a testament of how our products are welcome in Botswana.

“The Zimbabwean embassy in Botswana should also host a separate event for Zimbabwean businesses who are displaying the best of Zimbabwe and invite different buyers,” he added.

“From what I have seen from my counterparts who are displaying their products here, …we have a lot to offer. We have a lot to show. So why not show us off?”

Toserudo Clothing sales consultant, Tari Zvinavashe pointed out how the displays had changed the perceptions of even Zimbabweans who have been based outside the country for long periods of time.

“From the conversations we have been having with local Batswana people, they had a perception of Zimbabwe based on their interactions with other Zimbabweans, and from what they are saying … they are very impressed and their perception has changed.

“They are open to doing business with Zimbabwe, they are highly impressed with Zimbabwean products. And even Zimbabweans based here are also now impressed with Zimbabwean products. There were maybe three or so conversations I had with Zimbabweans based in Botswana who haven’t been in the country for a while and were also very impressed. They are very proud to be Zimbabwean,” Zvinavashe said.

“We are definitely motivated to do more. It was a very good couple of days. It opened our eyes, it opened our minds to see our own products in a different light to see that we are actually good. It has boosted our confidence.

“We would definitely be interested in doing this again but we need more information on logistics including the payment systems. BURS (Botswana Unified Revenue Services) and Zimra (Zimbabwe Revenue Authority) should also play a leading role in bridging that information gap because, with that kind of information, deals can be easily closed during the expo.”

ZimTrade client advisor, Nozipho Maphala, was pleased with the performance of the Zimbabwean ensemble.

“We have had individuals who were amazed by the level of quality of the products that are coming out of Zimbabwe. It was quite a pleasure, especially with people recognising the brands that they grew up with, the Tanganda, the Cairns, and the Olivine products.

“They were so excited to see them and couldn’t wait to see them on the shelves. It’s good to know that the country itself is shining on this platform and people are interested to see what Zimbabwe has in store for them,” Maphala said.

“The companies that we have brought have recorded very good sales and business deals. They have made a number of contacts in terms of business leads. Some of them have negotiated distributorship agreements with some of the local companies.”