The Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) has recorded export deals worth US$ 11 million and trade leads worth approximately US$ 46.9 million from the just ended Zambia – Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R .Congo Trade Mission.
The Agency recorded confirmed orders of approximately US$ 11 million for the supply of agricultural inputs, garments, treated wooden poles, cooking oil, safety boots, village chicks, beans, maize grit, and beverages to D.R. Congo.
Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that showcased their products at Hypnose Mall in Lubumbashi recorded spot sells of approximately US$ 50,000. This relates to the various product samples bought cash by Congolese visitors to the Zambian stands.
The Agency will follow up on the trade leads to ensure that they translate into export transactions.
Commenting on the trade leads and deals from the DR Congo Trade Mission, ZDA Acting Director General Albert Halwampa said: “The results of the Trade Mission to DR Congo confirms our long held view that DR Congo is Zambia’s number one market for Non-Traditional Exports.
These results are a further testimony that both large companies and SMEs can both earn foreign exchange and thereby significantly create jobs and wealth for the Zambian citizens.
The story of one SME clinching a US$ 3 million export deal to supply cooking oil to DR Congo during the trade mission is evidence that ZDA is ready to hand hold SMEs owned by Zambian women and youth into accessing the DR Congo market.
ZDA strategy going forward is to facilitate market access for as many companies as possible to export products to DR Congo by going into this market four times a year starting in 2022.
With the support of the New Dawn Government, this is possible.”
Last week, 54 export ready and exporting Zambian companies were taken to DR Congo by ZDA, Government of Finland through the Finnish government funded Accelerated Growth for Micro Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in Zambia (AGS Zambia Programme) and ABSA Bank Zambia PLC to secure market access for their products.
The objective of the trade mission, which, ran from October 20 to 22, 2021, was to facilitate the growth of Zambia’s non-traditional exports (NTEs) and to secure market access for Zambian products.
The Agency hopes to penetrate, consolidate and expand the Congolese market for Zambian products.
The trade mission was part of the implementation of the N8 +1 Export Strategy aimed at increasing the Non-Traditional Exports in the region, particularly the low hanging fruit markets of DR Congo, South Africa and Angola.
54 Zambian companies had business to business meetings with their Congolese business counterparts.
The companies also had an opportunity to showcase their products at an exhibition in Lubumbashi.
Of the 54 companies, 18 were large companies and 36 were SMEs.
The sectors targeted for this particular trade mission were agriculture, agribusiness, agro processing, textiles, garments, mining supply services, engineering services and products among others.
The companies that exhibited were from all parts of Zambia with the majority of the businesses led by women and some businesses led by youths.
This is contained in a statement issued to the media by ZDA Communications and Public Relations Manager Laura Mushaukwa.
