National trade development and promotion agency, ZimTrade, is organising an outward seller mission to Angola designed to enhance linkages between local exporters and leading buyers in that market.

The Zimbabwe-Angola Trade Mission, scheduled for 14-16 May will feature a comprehensive programme designed to foster connections between the Angolan and Zimbabwean private sectors.

This significant initiative dovetails with President Mnangagwa's vision of establishing a robust Zimbabwean presence across the African continent, a policy thrust benefit immensely from the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

ZimTrade chief executive officer, Mr Allan Majuru Allan Majuru, said the trade mission would shape Zimbabwe's future exports into Angola.

"This trade mission will bridge gaps and forge lasting partnerships between businesses in our two countries, which will drive bilateral trade to unprecedented heights.

"This is a critical step towards shaping a future, where Zimbabwean products become a mainstay in the Angolan market.

"By showcasing the quality and competitiveness of Zimbabwean products, we can unlock new export avenues and significantly boost our economic ties with Angola, which will diversify our export markets and boost economic growth," he said.

Further to create avenues for Zimbabwean products in the Angolan market, Mr Majuru said the trade mission will also allow local companies to identify sources of raw materials from potential partners in the market.

"This mission will not only open new markets for our finished goods in Angola but also create vital connections for sourcing raw materials at competitive prices, thus creating a win-win situation for both economies.

"Already, a lot of excitement has been generated among Angolan businesses, who are looking to establish supply networks with manufacturers from Zimbabwe," said Mr Majuru.

Angola, a member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) together with Zimbabwe, presents opportunities for local products across sectors.

Statistics show that Angola's import bill grew from US$11,36 billion in 2021 to US$17,71 billion in 2022.

Of this growing import figure, Zimbabwean companies have an opportunity to supply some of the top import products in Angola.

For example, there is high demand in Angola for imported products in the fast-moving consumer goods such as meat and processed foods.

The market is aware of the good quality of Zimbabwean products, and this can be used as a basis to introduce new products and increase the distribution of existing product lines.

There is scope to export meat (chevron and beef) to Angola, which is in high demand with products presently coming from the SADC region, Brazil, and Argentina.

Further to this, the growth in Angola's agricultural sector is stimulating an increase in the demand for agricultural implements.

Zimbabwean exporters can target specific agro-based solutions such as plant and equipment as well as chemicals.

There is significant demand for farm implements, especially ox-drawn implements. The indicative market for implements is concentrated in the North of the country.

In addition, the agriculture sector also presents opportunities for technical skills for Zimbabwe; which has a wide range of skill competencies in agricultural areas that Angola has an interest in and would significantly benefit from, such as horticulture, agronomy, veterinary services, and crop sciences.

These and other opportunities will be discussed at the forthcoming trade Mission, which will encompass a diverse range of activities, including a business forum, company visits, and business-to-business engagements.

These initiatives aim to facilitate direct interactions between key stakeholders from both countries, fostering a deeper understanding of each other's markets and business environments.

The Trade Mission comes at a time when both Zimbabwe and Angola are actively seeking to expand their economies and capitalise on the opportunities presented by

regional and continental integration initiatives, including AfCFTA.

The AfCFTA, which seeks to establish a single continental market for goods and services, allows Zimbabwean companies to gain access to a larger market of over 1,3 billion people across Africa, including Angola.

AfCFTA encourages regional value chain integration, which means Zimbabwean companies can collaborate with Angolan businesses to create products or services that are more competitive and cater to regional preferences.

This provides an opportunity to participate in regional value chains, diversify export products, expand their customer base, and increase sales.