SA minister: our firms ready to revive Zim

Pledged commitment … SA deputy minister of industry

The South African minister was speaking Wednesday at a business seminar organised by the local industry ministry in Gweru. He said South African businesses can contribute to growing trade volumes and bringing investments into Zimbabwe.

“I am of the view that the South African businesspeople on this mission have a crucial role to play in growing, not only our trade volumes, but also investments into Zimbabwe that would yield a multiplier effect as it relates to job creation, poverty alleviation and ultimately economic emancipation of our people,” Masina said.

“As South Africa, we pledge our commitment to support Zimbabwe as they realise the objectives they set for themselves in their development economic blueprint called the Zimbabwe’s Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZIM-ASSET).

“Our developmental agendas are intertwined as our own National Development Plan speaks of the same things that ZIM-ASSET speaks of. These are poverty eradication, value-addition and beneficiation, and food security, among others,” he said.

Masina said South Africa has invested $2 billion in Zimbabwe’s mining, agriculture, banking and retail sectors between 2003 and 2015, and a number of South African companies were still investing in the mining, tourism, banking and retail sectors of their neighbours.

Masina is currently leading an Investment and Trade Initiative (ITI) to Harare, Gweru and Bulawayo.

The ITI tour started on Monday.

The business seminars form part of the ITI themed, “Strengthening business linkages between South Africa and Zimbabwe.”