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For the first time in history, the European Union showcased what it offers at its own stand at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF).
As #TeamEurope, the EU stand is hosting the EU and EU Member States (Sweden, France, Italy, and The Netherlands this year), as well as various # TeamEurope-funded projects being implemented in Zimbabwe.
The EU Ambassador Jobst von Kirchmann said. “The EU is a major trading partner of Zimbabwe with an annual volume of 700 million USD based on our Economic Partnership Agreement. But I think we could do more.”
“So, let’s work together and see how we can support the objective to build a stronger and more prosperous Zimbabwe” he
Trade and Investment with Zimbabwe are important sectors for the EU. It is proud to participate for the first time at the ZITF 2023 with its own, sizable #TeamEurope stand.
In a common space, the EU is featuring information about the European Union’s trade and investment opportunities in Zimbabwe alongside other EU Member States: Italy, France, The Netherlands, and Sweden. The stand aims at becoming a meeting and exchanging point between Zimbabwe and the EU trade and investment stakeholders where visitors can access information on export requirements, support to agriculture machinery imports, technical assistance, lending facilities with the European Investment Bank as well as locating European business partners and exploring new markets.
With a trade volume of 700 Million USD, the European Union is a major trading partner of Zimbabwe and it is the number one destination for Zimbabwe’s horticultural exports. 42% of Zimbabwe’s horticulture exports went into the EU in 2021. The top three of these horticultural products are citrus, leguminous vegetable, and cut flowers. The EU sells machinery and chemical imports to Zimbabwe that support local industry by encouraging greater efficiency in processing in agricultural production, transport, and tea and leather processing sectors.
This competitive trade advantage is possible under the Economic Partnership Agreement which allows duty-free and quota-free access to the EU’s 27 countries, the largest trading block in the world. The EU continues to build on the growth trend of Zimbabwean trade while contributing directly to the implementation of Zimbabwe’s trade programmes and strategies in line with the NDS-1.
Through its participation at the ZITF, the EU Delegation will have the opportunity to highlight some of these efforts, such as the Technical Assistance to the Zimbabwe Economic Partnership Agreement (TAZEPA), a provided €10 million to this project aiming at enhancing Zimbabwe’s integration into the regional and international trading system. On a global level, by playing a key role as co-chairperson of the good governance track in the ongoing Arrears Clearance and Debt Resolution high-level dialogue process, the EU is supporting Zimbabwe’s efforts in creating a more conducive business environment.
The EU’s presence at the ZITF is part of a broader effort by the EU to accompany Zimbabwe in its shared goal of increasing trade and supporting local economic development. The EU has a long history of supporting Zimbabwean trade, which includes preferential trade access to the markets of 27 countries of the European Union in a duty-free and quota-free manner, since May 2012.
#TeamEurope partners and projects that visitors can find at the #TEAMEUROPE stand include:
Global Gateway
Global Gateway, is a European Union strategy to boost smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport sectors and to strengthen health, education and research systems across the world.
Through the Global Gateway, the EU is contributing 113 Million Euro to rehabilitate the Kariba Dam.
EIB funding
The EU has been collaborating with Zimbabwe in business through private sector development and encouraging investment flows into the country. Last year, the European Investment Bank (EIB), which is the world’s largest international financial institution, launched a Private Sector Facility amounting to 40 MEUR and has subsequently signed three credit lines with three Zimbabwean private banks namely CABS, First Capital Bank, and NMB Bank.
These loan facilities which are extended to local financial institutions benefit the private sector in that:
- The interest rates are low (around 8 %) compared to normal market rates;
- The facilities have a long tenure of 7 years, which what industry prefers;
These foreign currency facilities have benefited export-oriented enterprises, notably in the horticulture, transport and tourism sectors.
New export rules (due diligence)
The EU stand will provide information about any new EU export regulations that may be implemented in future such as regulations connected to the ethical production of products such as sustainable production with no deforestation, no child labour products for example.
The following projects give direct support to the private sector:
ZAGP – Zimbabwe Agricultural Growth Programme, working on:
- Beef: Beef Enterprise Strengthening and Transformation- BEST, is creating a robust competitive beef value chain that promotes enhanced trade, employment creation, food security and green economic growth.
- Poultry: Inclusive Poultry Value Chain –IPVC, is developing an efficient poultry value chain, which contributes to poverty reduction and economic growth in Zimbabwe.
- Goats and Pigs-Value Chain Alliance for Livestock Upgrading and Empowerment- VALUE, is transforming and promoting production of goats and pigs by scaling up and upgrading the two value chains to supply quality assured livestock and meat products.
- Animal health and food safety: Transforming Zimbabwe’s Animal Health and Food Safety Systems for the Future – SAFE, is transforming Zimbabwe’s animal health, sanitary and phytosanitary/food safety systems for improved livestock productivity, food and consumer safety to enhance market access.
- Research, education and extension: Zimbabwe Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Services –ZAKIS, is facilitating linkages between agriculture research, education and extension.
- Dairy: Transforming Zimbabwe’s Dairy Value Chain for the Future- TranZDVC, is addressing the root causes of underperformance in the dairy value chain by strengthening the linkages between production, processing and financing.
SCOPE4IVC, Strengthening Competitiveness and Potential for Export for Inclusive Value Chains in Zimbabwe to improve competitiveness and export capacity in inclusive and pro-poor value chains (chili, nyimo, marula)
BRIDGE and REOPENS projects by CESVI, working with smallholder farmers to improve management and governance, improve performance in the development of resilient value chains, influence key policies related to agriculture and resilience as well as improving the competitiveness and export capacity of smallholder farmers.
Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), a leading non-profit development organisation that supports innovative enterprises in the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors with the aim of reducing rural poverty, promoting resilient communities and creating jobs. The project catalyzes the private sector by surfacing and commercializing new ideas, business models and technologies designed to increase agricultural productivity, improve farmer incomes, expand clean energy access, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve resilience to the effects of climate change.
EU Youth Sounding Board (YSB) Zimbabwe, a group of young people who advise the EU Delegation in Zimbabwe on youth participation and empowerment in EU external action.
CreativeACTIONs by Culture Fund to provide financial and technical support to artists and creatives in all Zimbabwe’s ten provinces. Through this project the EU hopes to provide a breakthrough for emerging artists, especially young women and men in Zimbabwe. The government is our partner in this initiative that seeks to incubate creatives and helping them to realise their potential.
SEEF: Increasing the resilience of rural communities in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe, to prevent the health emergency caused by COVID-19 from turning into structural food insecurity. The initiative develops a local and differentiated food system to counter insecurity. The project helps women and children under the age of 5, to modify their diet, improving and diversifying it in quantity but also in quality, with the introduction of animal proteins (fish and chicken) and vitamins (vegetables and fresh fruit), favoring a 20% decrease in malnutrition and food insecurity linked to the availability of cereals.
RAIZ – (Resilience Building through Agro-ecological Intensification in Zimbabwe) Project. A research project support the government in the development and implementation of scientifically tested agro-ecological approaches that will improve agricultural production and resilience to climate change in Zimbabwe. It is implemented in Murehwa and Mutoko
Musasa Project to provide relief to survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) operating from five regional offices: Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare and Masvingo.
HIVOS, an international development organization working in Zimbabwe, in particular on gender equality and women empowerment
Opportunities for Youth Employment (OYE) project in Zimbabwe by SNV.
For further information on EU funded projects, please visit:
https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/projects_en?s=129&f%5B0%5D=project_site%3AZimbabwe