Zimbabwe’s premier trade showcase opens today in the country’s second largest city, Bulawayo amid claims by organisers that this years’ event is the “biggest in decades.”
The Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) has been recording a drop in the number of foreign and local exhibitors over the years owing to the harsh economic climate and strained relations between then President Robert Mugabe and the West.
It is the country’s first ZITF without Mugabe who stepped down in November last year following a military led coup.
“In terms of exhibitor numbers, we are currently sitting at 495 direct exhibitors which is 40 percent higher than last year’s closing total of 356 direct exhibitors and 30 percent higher than the booking situation the same time last year,” ZITF Company general manager, Nomathemba Ndlovu said.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa will officially open the ZITF on Friday. This year’s trade showcase runs under the theme: “Sustainable Industrial Development – Inclusive, Competitive, and Collaborative.”
A total of 18 countries are being represented this year, including first timer – United Arab Emirates.
