The Sunday News
Roberta Katunga Senior Business Reporter
FOREIGN exhibitors who took part in the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair exhibition held in Bulawayo last week have expressed optimism on the Zimbabwean economy and commended the organisers of the expo for effecting positive changes at the 55th edition that ran under the theme “New ideas for new heights”.
Indonesian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Eddy Poerwana said his country had been participating at the trade fair because they believed one day Zimbabwe would grow and said they were maintaining good relations with the country for the prosperity of its people.
“Indonesia imports a lot of products from Zimbabwe that include cotton and our participation at this exhibition is to show our support to the country as we believe one day things will change for the better,” said Ambassador Poerwana.
Ambassador Poerwana said Indonesia was already investing in Zimbabwe through various companies and said the country was looking at forging partnerships with locals.
Indonesian investor Dr Widi Permono who with other Indonesians runs a game ranch in Inyathi said Bulawayo was an ideal investment destination because of the open spaces and lack of congestion.
“Bulawayo will someday emerge to become the industrial hub it was. When you look at the agriculturul sector in Zimbabwe, you will see that people know how to rear cattle and grow various crops and we are looking at investing in that sector,” he said.
Dr Permono said they had invested more than US$10 million in the 23 000 hectares Dollar Block Ranch where they have various game such as giraffe, zebra, sable and wildebeest among other animals. He said the ranch also had a lucrative crocodile farm.
He, however, implored Government to help them combat poaching which was their biggest challenge.
Dollar Block Ranch employs 45 people and Dr Widi said they would create more opportunities of employment for locals when they venture into other investments especially the cropping business.
Meanwhile, exhibitors from Botswana said they noted a number of improvements during this year’s edition in terms of logistics and management at the ZITF.
Botswana education hub performance improvement coordinator Mr Billie Loeto said most notable was the calibre of exhibits and improvement in communication between the organisers and exhibitors making life easy and the whole five days a great experience.
“In previous years we have had to wait and there has often been communication breakdown but this year everything was sorted before we even got here and it has been smooth sailing.
We have even had the chance to have external meetings,” said Mr Loeto.
Botswana Investment and Trade Centre, one of the exhibitors, said their job was to attract foreign investors to their country and show available opportunities in that country and found the ZITF to be a good platform to network and do business.
BITC communications officer Ms Ginah Pabalinga said they brought two more companies to showcase their products at the exhibition.
China was the largest foreign exhibitor occupying 1 061 square metres of exhibition space, up from 600 square metres last year. South Africa, which occupied 800 square metres, came second after China.
Other countries that were present included Brazil, Congo Brazzaville, Egypt, Iran, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Poland, USA, Bangladesh, India and Nigeria.
