ZIMTRADE

ABOUT ZIMTRADE

ZimTrade, the national trade development and promotion organisation, is a unique joint venture partnership between the Private Sector and the Government of Zimbabwe. It was formed through a constitution in September 1991.

Working closely with our Partners, Industry Experts and Development Cooperation Partners, we provide a comprehensive suite of value-added services. We assist Zimbabwean exporters, including first-time exporters and potential exporters, to develop, promote and facilitate export of their goods and services to the world.

Our Mandate: To Energise Zimbabwe’s Export Growth.

Our Aspiration: To contribute to Zimbabwe’s growth and prosperity through developing and catalyzing viable and sustainable exports.

HOW WE GROW EXPORTS

Market Information:

We provide market intelligence through various channels such as the Trade Information Portal, in house publications that include our Trade Directory and monthly newsletter  and Zimbabwe-EU Business Information Centre.

Export Development:

We undertake a range of export development initiatives which are directed at building and strengthening the capacities of exporting enterprises and would-be exporters to win on the export front.

Export Promotion

We are committed to promoting Zimbabwe as a reliable and competitive sourcing and business destination for manufactured goods, horticultural products, and value-added services. Our promotion activities are carefully designed and implemented to stimulate exports to existing and new markets.

Advocacy

We engage relevant stakeholders to improve the ease of doing export business.

EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES IN BULAWAYO

A mapping study commissioned by ZimTrade in 2021 revealed that the majority of the exporting companies in Bulawayo are in the manufacturing sector, covering sub-sectors such as clothing, construction material, household goods, leather products, agricultural equipment, food and beverages as well as travel and leisure products. Under each of these sub-sectors, manufactured products are exported to countries in the SADC region, the USA, Germany, China, the United Kingdom among others.

Top products with export potential in Bulawayo include steel wire, maize and flour,  safari shoes, belts, sandals, footwear, steel wire, conveyor rolls, hdp pipe, bulk bags, door frames, maize and flour, enamelware.

Other export products also include leather and leather products crocodile skins, roll film hollow ware, ploughs, ridgers, hoes and plough spares.

Processed foods such as biscuits, cooking oil, sweets, canned meat are further export opportunities in Bulawayo.

OPPORTUNITIES BY SECTOR

HORTICULTURE EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES

Horticultural sector undoubtedly offers quick wins for Zimbabwean exporters as the country already enjoys some competitive advantages. Major exported products include citrus, avocadoes, tea, peas, stone fruits, flowers, chillies, macadamia, blueberries, and flowers.

Due to Zimbabwe’s non-GMO policy, its’s horticulture exports have great potential in Europe, Asia, and Middle East. There is robust supports system offered by ZimTrade and the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development for those who seek to venture into these export markets.

Avocados, amongst an array of horticultural products, offers viable solutions for local exporters who are looking at increasing their export values. Given Zimbabwe’s favourable climatic conditions, avocados are being commercially grown in the Eastern Highlands, with export prospects to the rest of Africa, Europe and Asia.

For Zimbabwean farmers, avocados present opportunities to establish a position in the global market, which can be used as the anchor to increase exports of other products into the world market as it is now called a super food, that is, high in nutrients and low in calories.

COVID-19 pandemic has seen people becoming more cautious of their eating habits, with the majority going for commodities that offer health benefits and these include citrus and ginger.

Zimbabwe is also emerging as the largest producer of blueberries in Southern Africa. The increased production is responding to growing demand around the world, driven by healthy-conscious patterns shown a bias towards the healthier options such as blueberries.

Zimbabwe is also good at producing peas. Sugar snap and mangetout peas are the most common varieties grown in Zimbabwe and these are some of the highly sought- after varieties from developing countries in international markets such as Europe. Current markets are concentrated in Europe.

Taste for the macadamia is growing in major markets of the world, and Zimbabwean farmers are increasing production to tap into the market. The conditions, including abundant land and Zimbabwean climate also favour successful growing of macadamia nuts. The macadamia sub-sector has been growing exponentially over the past few years, with indications that this will become the largest foreign currency earners from the agricultural sector.

PROCESSED FOODS EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES

Processed foods exports has been growing over the past few years, riding on the quality and better taste of Zimbabwean products compared to competition.

Major export products in the sector include tea, sugar, sweets, pastry products, tinned foods, cereals, milk and milk- based products, snacks, cordials, and biscuits.

Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector is also growing, making it easy for manufacturers to source raw materials locally.

Zimbabwe boasts of quality products produced by companies such as Tanganda, Tongaat, Associated Foods of Zimbabwe, Cairns Foods, Lobels, Arenel, and Schweppes Holdings.

Zimbabwe mainly exports to SADC countries and East Africa countries such as DRC, Zambia, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Kenya, and Tanzania.

With the kicking in of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the size of the market that local enterprises can access at low tariffs has even ballooned.

Further to this, the general price stability on the world market creates market opportunities for exports and hence contributes to enterprise development and employment creation.

Zimbabwean businesses are also looking to utilize the diaspora living in UK who can become product champions within their resident communities.

LEATHER AND LEATHER PRODUCTS EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES

Zimbabwe boasts of both exotic and bovine leather that is tanned into finished leather and used in the manufacture of high-quality products including, bags, furniture, belts, footwear,

Markets information for Zimbabwe’s exotic leather

It is estimated that over two million crocodile skins are traded annually around the world.

After the United States, Zimbabwe ranks as the world’s second-largest exporter of the reptile products according to the Trade Map.

The country trades over 100,000 crocodile skins alone a year.

Raw or processed skins from Zimbabwe’s crocodile farmers are sold to suppliers for leading designer brands such as Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Gucci.

INDEGENOUS OILS EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES

Zimbabwe is naturally endowed with indigenous plants and trees of which by-products such as organic oils are highly sought after in the cosmetic sector both in international and domestic markets.

A growing number of formulators and manufacturers within the cosmetic and pharmaceutical sector are using these organic oils as active ingredients in the manufacture of medical treatments for anti-aging and dermatologic disorders.

Exotic oils available in Zimbabwe

To tap into the potential of these natural products, Zimbabwe is already positioning local producers to value-add local resources into high-end products, that can fetch more on the international markets.

Top importing markets for plant-based essential oils include France, Germany, China, United Kingdom, and Netherlands.

SHOP@ZIM

To improve the linkages between local companies, ZimTrade developed an online place for Zimbabwean producers to meet with global buyers.

The online store is premised on the need to create a singular online window for marketing and selling Zimbabwean products.

The goal of the store is to be the one stop shop for authentic Zimbabwean products obtained at source.

The platform seeks to be the nurturing, umbrella incubator for all Zimbabwean exports online, capitalizing on the already known and reputable name that it bears as the nation’s trade development and promotion body.

Shop@Zim is expected to provide an alternative access to markets where physical trade fairs and exhibitions have been suspended.

Currently,     the     platform      has     been designed     to          facilitate      business       to       business engagements between local exporters and international buyers.

Registration onto the platform is free and can be done by simply clicking the www.shopatzim.co.zw link where there are easy steps to be followed

CONTACT US

Southern Region Office

48 Josiah Tongogara Street Btwn 3rd and 4th Avenue Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Tel: 263-292 266151, 262378, 263-8677000378

E-mail: info@zimtrade.co.zw