The Sunday Mail
Bulawayo Bureau
BULAWAYO is expected to be a hive of activity as the 64th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) begins on Tuesday, with organisers reporting that this year’s trade jamboree has been oversubscribed.
Running under the theme “Innovation: The Catalyst to Industrialisation and Trade”, the ZITF will be officially opened by Kenyan President Dr William Ruto, who will be accompanied by his counterpart and ZITF patron President Mnangagwa.
In a statement, Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu confirmed that President Ruto will be in the country to officially open the trade showcase.
“It’s a pleasure to reaffirm that this critical economic event will be opened by His Excellency Dr William Ruto,” he said.
This year’s event is expected to feature international participants from 27 countries, including the United States, China, Germany, Belarus, Russia and the United Kingdom.
Giving an update on Friday, ZITF board chairperson Mr Busisa Moyo said they had registered improved subscriptions for exhibitors both locally and internationally.
“ZITF preparations are well-advanced; we are oversubscribed, as we have more exhibitors in total than we had last year. We have 576 exhibitors coming through this year, compared to 565 last year. We also have more countries that will be joining the trade showcase. We have six more countries than we had last year. Last year, we had 21 and this year we have 27,” he said.
“We also have 136 new exhibitors coming in for the first time. These are signs of confidence and the value that exhibitors both locally, in the region and internationally are seeing in the ZITF. We look forward to welcoming everybody on Tuesday when we commence the showcase.”
He said 27 percent of the companies exhibiting are from Bulawayo.
In a bid to foster the “go green drive” and encourage healthier options, Mr Moyo said the ZITF will discourage visitors from using their cars by implementing changes that are in line with the global trends of international showcases.
These will include parking fees and the provision of exclusive shuttle services.
“We want to reduce the amount of traffic in the vicinity of the ZITF through the use of shuttle services coming from local hotels to decongest traffic.
‘‘We are limiting the amount of vehicles coming to the fair. There is going to be a parking charge, which is US$25 for the whole fair, which is US$5 per day,” added Mr Moyo.
Turning to environmental issues, Mr Moyo said they are discouraging the use of single-use plastic, saying they are working closely with the Environmental Management Agency to ensure litter is managed properly.
The hospitality sector has also put in place necessary measures to ensure that all visitors to the city are adequately accommodated, with a snap survey revealing that the majority of major hotels and lodges in the city are fully booked.
In an interview with our Bulawayo Bureau, the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe’s second vice president and chairperson of the Bulawayo Chapter, Mr Kudzai Ratisai, said they had done their best to ensure all visitors are comfortably accommodated.
He said the hospitality sector will deliver unwavering commitment towards ensuring that visitors get the best services.
