Intra-regional trade in southern Africa holds enormous potential if governments dovetail strategies and work together, in the view of Dr Nigel Chanakira, non-executive chairman of the Zimbabwe Investment Authority (ZIA). Speaking at a recent seminar on African trade, he said a silo approach was no longer feasible and governments and private companies needed to work more closely in the future to benefit southern Africa as a region. “There are programmes and strategies being launched in every country in the region, but we are not always aware of what is happening across our borders,” he said. “In South Africa you have a programme that is aimed at growing black industrialists, boosting local manufacturing capabilities in key sectors like the pharmaceutical industry, while in Zimbabwe we have just completed an 18-month study into the needs of the pharmaceutical industry.” Chanakira said countries should not only be aware of what their neighbours were doing but should be actively engaging with each other and working together to grow intraregional trade. “The study I am referring to was looking at the pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities in Zimbabwe that are archaic. It found that millions of dollars would be required to upgrade and address some of the key issues, while at the very same time South Africa is investing millions to grow black manufacturing in the pharmaceutical sector, amongst others. We should be working together and finding mutually beneficial solutions that address both countries’ goals.” He said matching South African manufacturing capability to Zimbawean import need should be the immediate starting point – but it could be developed into so much more, finding solutions for the region. “And this is just one example in one industry. We can do so much more for southern Africa at large if we take the time to find similar solutions in other industries. It can be done, but it will require working together as countries far more closely.” Takalani Tambani , chief director of the Black Industrialist Programme at the Department of Trade and Industry (dti), agreed saying it was imperative that countries engaged in conversation about their planned initiatives to create symbiotic relationships.
Governments and private companies need to work more closely in the future to benefit southern Africa as a region.
