Bulawayo, April 26, 2022 (New Ziana) – The week long Zimbabwe
International Trade Fair, the country’s premier trade showcase, kicked
off on Tuesday, with an exciting line up of conferences whose
discussions are tailor made to give impetus to the country’s march
towards transforming into an upper middle income economy by 2030.

Some of the events to take place include the innovators forum which
started on Tuesday and spills over into Wednesday, the Zimbabwe-Botswana
Business Forum, The International Business Conference, the Diplomats
Forum and the inaugural Connect Africa Symposium.

ZITF Company chairman Busisa Moyo said the headline event would be the
International Business Conference which will be attended by over 600
local and international delegates.

The event will run under the main Zitf theme: “Rethink, Reimagine,
Reinvent Value Chains for Economic Development.”

“The event has been reformatted to encompass diverse stakeholder
engagement among distinguished academics, members of the diplomatic
corps and industry leaders who are expected to share insights on
reinvented value chains in pursuit of vision 2030 as well as promoting
inclusive values,” Moyo said.

Vice President General Constantino Chiwenga will be the guest of honour,
while Afreximbank vice president Denys Denya will also grace the
occasion.

Afterwards, a Diplomats Forum focusing on enhancing Zimbabwe’s economic
diplomacy will also be held and will run under the theme: “Economic
diplomacy, beyond Covid-19: Export and Investment opportunities in
Zimbabwe.”

“We will be hosting the second edition of the Diplomats Forum in
partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International
Trade. Diplomats from over 30 countries and representatives from at
least 10 international organisations and cooperating partners have
confirmed attendance for the event.”

The Inaugural Connect Africa symposium is also another event meant to
drive Vision 2030.

“Thursday will start with the inaugural Connect Africa symposium in
which the guest of honour Vice President Chiwenga will deliver the key
note address.”

Running under the theme: “Reimagining the future, a united Africa, a
prosperous Africa,” the symposium will see different political leaders
and investors converge to discuss and share solutions to challenges
across Africa.

“Some of the regional speakers expected at the event include vice
president of the Afreximbank Denys Denya, the Angolan Cabinet secretary
of state for Trade and Industry Amadeus Leitao Nunes as well as chairman
of the Dangote group Mansur Ahmed,” Moyo said.

Turning to the level of participation at the event, Moyo said the event
was oversubscribed and there were 428 direct exhibitors, who have taken
up 44 760 square meters of exhibition space.

Foreign participation is also up with 14 countries being represented by
a total of 21 exhibitors including from Angola, Japan, Indonesia,
Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa and Zambia.” This year’s show has seen us
experience an upsurge in the uptake of exhibition space resulting in the
setting up of supplementary exhibition space in one of the parking
areas.

In the short term we will be managing the demand for exhibition space
through temporary structures,” he said, adding the organisers were still
cognisant of the dangers posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“ZITF 2022 understands that while we seem to be over the worst of it, we
are still in the midst of a global health pandemic hence the need to
host it in a controlled and responsible manner. Building on the
successes and lessons of last year’s show, preparations for Zitf 2022
have been built around strict Covid-19 health and safety protocols with
guidance from the Ministry of Health and Child Care, and the City of
Bulawayo as experts and custodians of public health in the host city,”
Moyo said.

“All exhibitors will be required to produce Covid-19 free certificate
(PCR or antigen) taken no later than 48 hours before the show begins.

“Additionally, all invited guests will be required to present a Covid-19
free certificate taken no later than 48 hours before the official
opening ceremony on Friday.”

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected to officially open the ZITF on
Friday.

New Ziana