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.
