The five local companies which attended the 48th Zambia International Trade Fair (ZITF) have established business opportunities in Zambia and now aim to expand their trade and investment into that country.
Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) sponsored Apatche Roof Tiles, Gabcon Logistics, Reliance Foundries Metal Works, Fidelity Trade Mark and Makoro Bricks exhibited in the two-week annual fair which ended last week.
BITC Export Development Officer, Calvin Ketshabetswe, said through the ZITF, which attracted companies from Africa and the rest of the world, it has been proven that Batswana companies can do more business with Zambia.
Ketshabetswe indicated that Makoro Bricks can set up an agent in Zambia because exporting the commodity is expensive.
He said Reliance Foundries, a Ramotswa-based company, which manufactures mining equipment, had an opportunity to meet different mining companies and had negotiations to form partnerships.
Ketshabetswe said Ndola Trust School, a private institution in Zambia, is interested in ordering trophies and medals from Fidelity. He said the comments from the meetings that the local companies had with Zambian entities were positive and encouraging.
“I think there is great potential in Zambia. Local companies can do more business with Zambia,” said Ketshabetswe. He said, after ZITF, more international trade fairs will be hosted in Southern African countries.
He said BITC under the BEDIA portfolio would like to take more local companies for exhibition in international trade fairs like ZITF. Ketshabetswe said this will create a platform for more companies to explore business opportunities and expand their trade into foreign markets. “Local companies should not only look at the domestic market, but they should also consider the rest of world as part of their market,” he said.
Meanwhile Ketshabetswe noted that local companies should be prepared to use the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area which is intended to create a larger economic space. He said the integration of the three regional markets will be incorporated in 2014 and will create a consumer base of more than 600 million people.
