By Koviao Matuzee
Zimbabwean businesses are to descend to Windhoek next month as the country seeks to turn growing commercial interest between the two neighbors into concrete trade opportunities.
Zimbabwe’s national trade development and promotion organisation, ZimTrade, will conduct a three-day outward trade mission in Windhoek from October 7 to 9, bringing companies and potential Namibian buyers together to explore new markets, suppliers and partnerships.
The mission, led by the Embassy of Zimbabwe in Namibia in collaboration with the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) and the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), will include a Business Forum.
The focus will be on direct business-to-business engagements, with participating companies looking for market access, distributors, buyers and strategic partners in Namibia.
Sectors represented include agriculture, alcoholic beverages, educational services, engineering, fast-moving consumer goods, stock feeds, horticulture, and logistics.
The initiative comes after ZimTrade’s participation in the Windhoek Agricultural and Commercial Show over the past three years. Organizers now want to move beyond exhibition exposure and create more direct commercial connections between businesses in the two countries.
Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Namibia, Melody Chaurura, said the mission was intended to help businesses move from discussions to practical cooperation.
“The mission will provide an important platform for Zimbabwean and Namibian businesses to move beyond dialogue and identify practical areas of cooperation,” Chaurura said.
Chaurura also added that the engagements were expected to help expand market access and encourage partnerships that could increase trade and investment between the two countries.
Zimbabwean exporters are set to benefit from an opportunity to understand what Namibian buyers actually require, including regulatory requirements, distribution channels and sector-specific market opportunities.
ZimTrade southern region manager Jacqueline Nyathi said the organisation wants participating companies to leave Namibia with more than exposure.
“Our objective is to give Zimbabwean businesses a better understanding of the Namibian market while creating direct opportunities to engage with potential buyers, distributors and business partners,” Nyathi said.
NCCI chief executive officer Titus Nampala said the engagements could also benefit Namibian businesses by exposing them to new suppliers and commercial networks.
The mission therefore places the private sector at the center of efforts to deepen trade between Namibia and Zimbabwe, with the success of the engagements likely to depend on whether initial meetings translate into actual supply agreements, partnerships and export leads.
Namibian businesses have been encouraged to participate in the forum and use the engagements to identify potential suppliers, customers and partners as the two countries seek to strengthen regional commercial ties.
