THE dust had settled on the Global Expo Botswana, but for the Zimbabwean companies facilitated by ZimTrade, the work was just beginning.
Their collective experience painted a vivid picture of ambition, opportunity, and pan-African collaboration.
For Collen Moyo, founder of Viridi Solutions, this was a return visit driven by past success.
"This was our second time bringing our products to Botswana, and this journey was largely motivated by the positive interaction we had in 2023," he stated.
The demand for his eco-friendly lubricants, particularly given Botswana's mining sector, has spurred significant progress.
"We are now registered in Botswana... Due to this high demand, we were there to finalise the supply of our varied lubricants."
The company had even adapted, changing its packaging based on customer feedback.
With his sights set on expansion into Namibia via Botswana, Moyo was also exploring deeper roots.
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"In the coming weeks, we will be returning to Botswana to discuss public-private partnerships," he revealed, seeing it as a "good initiative" to access resources and capacities.
For first-time exhibitors such as Nobuhle Ntaisi of Nobby'Snax, the expo was a lesson in boldness.
She encountered initial scepticism, recalling how locals challenged her: "Are you sure you are bringing your beef here? This is a meat country; we have the best beef."
Her confident reply was, "Yes, we hear you, but we also have the best beef in Zimbabwe."
This exchange became a powerful "eye-opener that there are no limitations." Her biggest takeaway was a simple, powerful mantra: "If you have a product or a service, take it out there. Just don't keep it to yourself or at home."
The sentiment of quality recognition was echoed by Clever Garirofa of Golden Harvest Honey, who was "very happy" with the interest in his pure honey.
Similarly, Primrose Kamombe of Kuminda found the expo "very impactful," successfully engaging with entities to expand their supply chain.
A key insight was connecting with Zimbabweans living in Botswana who were not fully utilising their land back home.
"We learned that they are not utilising their land back in Zimbabwe, so we are hoping to establish production both here and back home," she said, seeing a massive opportunity to link local resources with Kuminda’s premium export markets in Europe and the United Kingdom.
For smaller businesses such as African Crown, directed by Princess Malandu, the "great exposure" was a springboard for future marketing ambitions.
Ronald Huku of King's Leather found the event "quite eye-opening," reinforcing his belief that through African partnerships, "we can have a global voice”.
Summarising the collective success, ZimTrade client adviser Nozipho Maphala confirmed that "several commercial opportunities are now under active negotiation," from horticultural contracts to skills-training services.
"In addition to commercial deals, Zimbabwean firms and partners are finalising partnership agreements for regional distribution of leather products and cosmetics, aimed at scaling market access in Southern Africa,” she noted.
“Capacity-building and technical cooperation are also moving forward.”
The expo, which ran from October 8 to 11, attracted at least 20 companies from Zimbabwe.
Some of the companies included Manhambo Investments, Dairibord, Sila Vegetables, Thando Timbers, Codchem, Good Hope Leather, Agri Rocket, Afrostain, Gallery Ibasa, and Montgomery Processors.
