By Takudzwa Tondoya
Zimbabwe is setting sights on new trade frontiers within Africa aiming to boost exports to fast-growing markets like Mozambique (Beira), Uganda, and Equatorial Guinea.
Addressing stakeholders at the ZimTrade Dissemination Seminar in Harare, ZimTrade export development manager, Tatenda Marume said the country must prioritise exporting more products to its African neighbors especially in sectors like fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), agriculture and services.
“We identified quite a number of opportunities in different areas, especially in areas of services, which is another key area again in terms of our priorities. We also identified opportunities in FMCG, agricultural sector in terms of agricultural supplies as well as agricultural produce,” Marume said.
The renewed focus on intra-African trade comes as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) opens up new opportunities for regional commerce.
Mozambique, already Zimbabwe’s second-biggest trading partner after South Africa, is seen as a key player in this push.
Marume highlighted the city of Beira as a prime hub for boosting trade logistics between the two countries.
“Last year, our exports grew by 23 percent to reach more than US$480 million, but there’s still room for us to market considering areas such as Beira where we have close proximity in terms of supply.
“The same also applies for Uganda, where we are currently exporting tobacco and citrus.” Marume said
Uganda, with its nearly 50 million people and growing consumer demand has caught the eye of Zimbabwean exporters.
Sandra Namanda, a representative from Uganda-based distributor Open Limited, believes there’s strong appetite for Zimbabwean products.
“Zimbabwe have canned foods, they have cereals, and all these are very marketable in Uganda. We have almost 50 million people living in Uganda and our population grows by almost 2.7% every year. All these people consume goods that maybe the country can produce,” Namanda said
Mozambique’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Carvalho Muaria, called on African nations to deepen ties and take advantage of the resources they already have.
“It is a time for Africa to work together to develop our countries. We still have in this continent a lot of material and resources which some continents do not have, but we still have people who do not even have a piece of bread early in the morning, which is not acceptable,” he said
