Hong Kong keen on Zimbabwe investment

ZIMBABWE has about 50 diplomatic missions across the world, with six being consulates. During a working visit to Hong Kong, our guest correspondent FRANCIS MPAZVIRIWO (FM), who is attached to the public diplomacy, communication and advocacy department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, interviewed Zimbabwe’s Consul-General to Hong Kong MR ELLIAS MUTAMBA (EM) about the work they are undertaking to fulfil Zimbabwe’s engagement and re-engagement drive.

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FM: You were appointed Zimbabwe’s consul-general to Hong Kong in December 2022. How has been the journey thus far?

EM: Zimbabwe opened its consulate in Hong Kong, the Special Administrative Region, in 2010. The consulate is under our embassy in Beijing, China. Generally, the mission was opened to broaden our footprints in the Far East, traditionally covered by the big missions which include Beijing, New Dehli, Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur.

The consulate was opened primarily to provide consular services for students and our nationals in Hong Kong, although its scope has grown to include trade, investment promotion and related functions carried out by a fully fledged diplomatic mission.

We nonetheless work under our mission in China, given the existence of the “one country, two systems” policy, which characterises mainland China and Hong Kong’s special relationship. Although we primarily cater for a small number of Zimbabwean students in Hong Kong, we also serve our nationals based in the Guangdong province of China and related areas, as well as others in the Macao Special Administrative Region of China.

These locations are closer to Hong Kong, thereby making it convenient for our nationals to seek services from Hong Kong, instead of the mainland, which ordinarily provides these services.

FM: What have been your major areas of focus in line with Zimbabwe’s economic diplomacy initiative?

EM: As espoused with the advent of the Second Republic, the consulate, as indeed with all other Zimbabwean diplomatic representations abroad, is now actively pursuing economic diplomacy under the mantra “Zimbabwe is open for business”. Mining, agriculture, tourism and trade are some of the sectors we are pursuing to realise our shared economic goals on a win-win basis.

As the third consul-general to Hong Kong, my duty is to grow our relations in this region, taking a cue from my predecessors. More importantly, the mission also derives strategic direction from our embassy in Beijing.

So far, the assignment has proved to be a success.

Investors are showing interest in the country as the economic diplomacy thrust continues to bear fruit.

FM: Which sectors are Zimbabweans in Hong Kong mainly participating in?

EM: By way of background, we have a sizeable Zimbabwean diaspora population here. Generally, the numbers of the African diaspora are low in Hong Kong, home to 60 consulates (including South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt) and 51 honorary consuls.

As indicated, our population comprises mostly students and professionals in the aviation sector; that is, pilots, engineers and instructors.

The most notable in the aviation sector is Captain Obet Mazinyi of Cathay Pacific Airlines, who has been here since 1989. For about 35 years, he has flown our flag high, way before we had a physical presence in Hong Kong, although our embassy in Beijing was already functional.

I understand that his presence here has resulted in more Zimbabweans joining the aviation sector in this part of the world and beyond. This is the diaspora dividend. We also have Zimbabweans working in the financial, media and education sectors.

FM: What are some of the activities that you have initiated to improve diaspora engagement?

EM: We have an open-door policy. The consulate often receives visits from our nationals whenever they are in Hong Kong. They want to know about the opportunities which they can take advantage of back home.

Our Independence Day celebrations have also provided us with a platform to interact with our diaspora.

The mission is encouraging the diaspora to invest at home, taking a cue from the clarion call from His Excellency President Mnangagwa’s mantra that “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo”.

We are currently in the process of mobilising and organising our diaspora community in Hong Kong to form their association. I hope that we will soon have an association which will enable more structured engagement that will enable our diasporans to organise themselves as consortiums whenever they intend to invest home, beyond their traditional role of remitting funds to Zimbabwe.

We have seen this commendable organisation with our diaspora elsewhere and I am sure our nationals in Hong Kong will emulate this towards our transformation.

FM: What other initiatives has the consulate made to improve investments?

EM: Hong Kong is host to several investors who have businesses in Zimbabwe, mostly in the mining sector. The consulate has participated at various expos as a way of attracting more business investments in Zimbabwe.

It is encouraging that investors continue to show interest in Zimbabwe.

We have lined up many interactive business engagements for the year.

The consulate is pursuing prospects of exporting dried macadamia nuts and dried hibiscus from Zimbabwe.

It is also positive to note that some retail outlets in Hong Kong are selling blueberries imported from Zimbabwe.

FM: Culture provides an entry point for people-to-people cooperation. Are there any specific programmes being conducted on this front?

EM: Currently, the mission is mobilising key stakeholders to participate in two flagship cultural events in the form of the Hong Kong International Cultural Summit to be held in March and the Second Culture Expo incorporating the Sixth Hong Kong International Arts and Collectibles Expo scheduled for May.

We believe these two are very important in promoting people-to-people exchanges.

On another note, our national tennis team — led by non-playing captain Takanyi Garanganga, the Lock brothers (Benjamin and Courtney), Benedict Badza and Tatenda Mutetwa — recently played against Hong Kong in a Davis Cup World Group II match here in Hong Kong.

Such fixtures remain integral in furthering sports diplomacy.

FM: How are the educational prospects in Hong Kong?

EM: Zimbabweans can consider pursuing both graduate and postgraduate studies in Hong Kong. It has a unique, hybrid education system that bears Western and Chinese hallmarks. This is, of course, a by-product of Hong Kong’s unique history. English is a constituent element of the educational system, along with Chinese. This is unlike most Asian countries where English is specialised at universities and international schools.

Hong Kong is also home to some of the world’s oldest and best universities. Zimbabweans who intend to pursue their studies either through self-funding or scholarships can consider Hong Kong as their perfect academic destination.

For Zimbabweans, it will be easier to adapt to the Hong Kong education system, given our common use of the English language. Furthermore, there is an advantage of learning Mandarin, although students understandably prefer to learn on the mainland. Here they also speak Cantonese, whose variants are also spoken in parts of China.

FM: Finally, do you have any advice for Zimbabweans transiting to Hong Kong or intending to relocate there?

EM: I advise our nationals who intend to reside in or transit via Hong Kong to adhere to the immigration regulations. Whenever our nationals are not sure about consular-related issues, they can always contact us. On an important note, our nationals should be wary of drug peddlers and should not involve themselves in substance trafficking, which is a serious crime in Hong Kong, carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a deterrent HK$5 million (US$635 000) fine.