Access to Markets

Wednesday, 20 December 2023, marked a significant milestone with the inaugural launch of the Southern Africa Development Community Marketing Association (SADCMA). This event unfolded at the distinguished premises of the Angolan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the vibrant city of Luanda.

The SADC Business Council supported the event, and its Chairman, Mr. Vicente Soares, gave the opening speech. Distinguished founding members from various regions enriched the occasion with insightful speeches and compelling presentations. These included Rui Matata Manuel from Angola, Darlington Letala from Zimbabwe, Abasha Tjipetekera from Namibia, Toucy Tjijombo and Gorata Ogotseng from Botswana, Danilo Nhantumbo from Mozambique, and Malcolm Green from South Africa.

The event drew a distinguished audience, reflecting the high-level engagement that characterizes the SADCMA. Notably, diplomatic representatives from the Nambian, Zambian and Zimbabwean Embassies underscored the gravity of this momentous occasion for marketing professionals across the Southern Africa Region.

The fundamental aim of SADCMA is to establish a vibrant marketing community that, through the cultivation of unity among professionals, produces the exchange of ideas, knowledge sharing, and implementation of best practices. This collective endeavor is geared towards fostering a sense of togetherness and camaraderie while also providing a platform for disseminating valuable insights and expertise. Through its initiatives, the Association seeks to elevate marketing standards in Southern Africa, positioning the region as a hub of marketing excellence.

The association is dedicated to promoting innovation within the marketing field. By staying at the forefront of emerging trends, technologies, and consumer behavior, it endeavors to equip its members with the tools and insights necessary to navigate the ever-evolving marketing landscape successfully. Through its commitment to excellence, innovation, and collaboration, SADCMA seeks to shape and redefine the marketing landscape in the region, empowering marketers to thrive and make a positive impact on businesses and communities alike.

Learn more: https://sadcmarketingassociation.org/

In today’s digital age, internet connectivity has become vital to life, shaping our social, economic, and political interactions. However, there is still a significant portion of the population in many African countries that do not have access to the Internet. According to recent research by datareportal.com, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe are among the countries with the lowest internet penetration rates in Africa. This article will explore the insights from the data report on these countries and share recommendations for businesses and government authorities on bridging the digital divide.

Insights from the Data:
The data report on Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe reveals a significant disparity in internet connectivity across these countries. Mozambique has the highest number of internet and active social media users, with the fastest internet connection speed among the three countries. Zimbabwe falls between the two regarding connectivity, while Malawi has the lowest internet penetration rates and the slowest connection speed.

Another key insight from the data is the high number of offline populations in each country. There is a sizeable offline population across all three countries, ranging from 10.75 million in Zimbabwe to 26.50 million in Mozambique. This suggests there is room for growth in internet and mobile access. This also presents a significant challenge to businesses and government authorities seeking to leverage the Internet for economic growth, development, and social inclusion.

Recommendations for Businesses:
For businesses seeking to leverage the Internet for growth and development in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, several recommendations exist.

Firstly, businesses should explore partnerships with internet service providers and mobile network operators to expand internet access and improve connectivity in these countries. This can include investing in deploying broadband infrastructure and providing affordable internet services to underserved communities.

Secondly, businesses should embrace digital transformation by leveraging e-commerce, digital marketing, and social media platforms to reach new customers and expand their market reach. This can help to overcome geographical barriers and improve access to markets, products, and services.

Recommendations for relevant Government Authorities:
For government authorities, there are several recommendations to consider in bridging the digital divide in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.

Firstly, governments should prioritize the development of a national broadband strategy to guide the deployment of broadband infrastructure and the provision of affordable Internet services to underserved communities. This can include partnering with private sector players to invest in deploying broadband infrastructure and providing affordable internet services.

Secondly, governments should invest in digital literacy programs to improve digital skills among the population, including the youth, women, and marginalized communities. This can help to bridge the digital divide and improve access to education, healthcare, and government services.

In conclusion, the digital divide in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe presents a significant challenge to businesses and government authorities seeking to leverage the Internet for growth, development, and social inclusion. However, by embracing digital transformation and investing in broadband infrastructure, affordable Internet services, and digital literacy, businesses and government authorities can bridge the digital divide and unlock the Internet’s full potential for economic growth, development, and social inclusion in these countries.

We have a lot of entrepreneurs who are interested in exporting as shown by a lot of discussions on our forums. One major hurdle stands in the way  of most entrepreneurs and it is knowledge! Most people are not aware of the procedures to be followed when you want to export, what forms are involved and how much is involved.

This is an area where little has been done in terms of education, where to get information or assistance provided. An entrepreneur based in Binga could be interested in exporting handicrafts but not be knowledgeable of how to go about it. An entrepreneur based in Mutoko may be interested in exporting fresh farm produce to Mozambique but may not be knowledgeable of the procedures to be followed.

During our forum outreach in Chitungwiza we met an old lady who produces some handmade bags for sale. She previously sold them to tourists but somehow lost contact last year, there was a tourist who used to come and buy handcrafts in bulk and sell them to France. Luckily for her,  she managed to secure  a market for her baskets in Europe  and the challenge is how to export them! She does not know of the procedures to be followed, there is no ready office or institution in Chitungwiza that can assist. There is no one who can speak to her in simple terms and explain how to process paper work for the export of her handbags.

As ZBIN we feel that there is need for more investment in exports promotion, do not forget the SME sector too. Policy makers should work on simplifying the procedures of exporting. This information should be easily available and be understood by everyone-finance and non finance individuals.

Last week we featured an Export Credit Facility by Agribank, excellent initiative to promote exports, however there is need for them to go an extra mile and invest in export promotion and education! Information on how to export is a big missing gap in the SME sector and as long as it remains like that then exports from the SME sector will remain low. The same applies to the Homelink Facility for cross borders provided by the government-awesome facility to the informal sector, they should however go the extra mile and invest a small amount of the facility in enabling members to have access to a lot of resources on exports and imports regulations, taxation and general business management guidance.

Below we provide you with a download of guidance on exports and it comes from Zimtrade.

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Lets say you are based in Ontario Canada and would like to invest back home, where  are you going to get  general information about investment opportunities in Zimbabwe? Are you going to  turn to the newspapers that are available online? Will they provide you with up to date information on opportunities in Zimbabwe? The bad news is that newspapers only concentrate on general business information.

Will you obtain information from the  Zimbabwe Investment Authority? The problem is that they only provide general information about large scale investment opportunities and their target seems to be foreigners. So who will you turn to? Relatives? Relatives may provide some bit of information but this might not be enough for decision making . Maybe  to try Private financial advisors, but how would you know about them? Do we have register of financial advisors who provide expert advice especially to the Diaspora Community? Do they have references? How would you know whether they can be trusted? Who has used them before?

Dear reader, this is how ZBIN was born, to try and bridge the gap in terms of investment information! We are not going to provide nzungu dzakamenywa but will provide you with better information than is currently available online. We are hoping to improve in terms of quality with detailed market surveys. A ZBIN member who maybe  in Diaspora or locally based, should be a well-informed person in terms of business and investment. If you are in business and your competitor is a ZBIN member then you are in deep, deep trouble because a ZBIN member will see opportunities before others see them, before the flood comes in, a ZBIN member should have crossed the river!

So what does your favourite forum have in store for you this week? We got fabulous news for you, we have introduced a Tender Tracker that targets members in remote areas where there is no access to newspapers. As a Diaspora friendly forum, we had you in mind when we created this tracker!

This will keep you up to date with all tenders circulating in Zimbabwe especially on Zimbabwe’s newspapers. Tenders mean BIG BUSINESS and every serious Entrepreneur should take an interest in them. We will compile on a bi-weekly basis and share with you…for free! We have identified a youngster who has volunteered to compile tender adverts on behalf of the community. Information provided is eaisily available in newspapers so that you can always cross check for follows ups.

In future we will help you with checklists that you need to use before submitting tenders. In the past you probably read about our message encouraging them to register and be tax compliant do you know why? The answer is that we had tenders in mind! It is through tenders that you can grow and expand your business. The first requirement on the checklist of people reviewing tenders is that are you registered? Are you tax compliant? If not then the first thing is to throw the tender in the dust bin!

A ZBIN member tender application should never be found in the dustbin, you should tick all the boxes and perhaps fail at the last hurdle?

Anyway for now, allow us to share with you what is happening on the ground. This should guide you of what to invest in. It’s a window of opportunities that exist in Zimbabwe and you are fortunate to find the information in one place….Enjoy!