The Sunday News
BULAWAYO companies have been accused of not adequately marketing their products at various fairs and trade missions held both locally and internationally, a development that has negative impacts on competitiveness.
Addressing local businesses in Bulawayo last week, Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) Matabeleland chapter chairperson Mr Crispen Mugova alleged that local companies were not aggressively marketing their products to counter massive competition brought by goods from other countries.
“I have been to the Zambian Agricultural Show and you hardly see a Zimbabwean company there. Even at our own trade fair here in Bulawayo, we don’t see Bulawayo companies participating so how do we then become competitive and how do we rate our products versus our competitors when we don’t participate at such events,” said Mr Mugova.
He said in light of massive competition brought by imported products, the best strategy was to participate in trade fairs and market products.
“We should start now engaging and participating in trade events. You don’t need to carry a truck load of goods but just participate and see what is happening in Zambia, Swaziland among other countries.
I was very ashamed when I saw someone from Swaziland coming to display panties yet in Zimbabwe we have so many companies who can do that and we are not marketing our products,” said Mr Mugova.
Mr Mugova challenged the local companies to take advantage of the trade missions conducted by ZimTrade in the Comesa region.
“ZimTrade has got a number of trade missions especially in the region which the locals should take advantage of to look for business opportunities,” he said.
He added that most of the locally produced products were not competitive on the local market.
“Most of our products are becoming uncompetitive and if we look at the production processes there is a need to reform,” he said.
Mr Mugova spoke of how Zimbabwe’s being a signatory to a number of trade agreements such as the Comesa allows products to move duty free across the borders.
He called on the local companies to improve their products and be competitive on the international markert.
“Within our companies let us bring some reforms to redo and remodel our products and mirror them with other products. If you look at our products, we are still producing organic products and our products become expensive and there is a need to work on our capacity building,” said Mr Mugova.
Local companies are failing to venture into exports due to a number of challenges resulting in a negative trade balance.
According to a ZimTrade Export Manufacturing Capacity Survey for 2013, over 70 percent of local companies that have been exporting in the past 10 years have ceased due to numerous challenges such as hassles in producing for export as well as low production.
