One of Zimbabwe’s leading financial institutions, Stanbic Bank, says recent trade agreements with China offer bright prospects for local producers.
Zimbabwe now has trade protocols in place to export citrus fruits, blueberries, and avocados to the vast Chinese market.
Stanbic said it was ready to support Zimbabwean businesses interested in trade with China.
“For local importers, we offer support with capacity building. We have a partner in China that helps acquire the raw materials and handles the quality inspection as well. We help companies purchase machinery, buy packhouses, or build refrigeration systems.
“On the export side, we provide our clients with market access. We have partnerships with Chinese companies that source off-takers. These companies also help make Zimbabwean products export-ready by registering them with customs in China.
“Why we believe in China is because we have seen a lot of growth over the years when it comes to the trend in Africa-China economic relations. We have seen trade between Africa and China reach US$294 billion in 2024. This growth is set to continue,” Stanbic head, Trade and Africa China Banking, Tapuwa Nyika said in an interview during Zimbabwe Export Week.
He said Zimbabwe had the right experience and background to take advantage of the opportunities offered by China.
“If you look at blueberries, for example, we have already been exporting to China indirectly through countries like South Africa, but now that we have protocols in place, we can access China directly.
“It’s the same story with citrus. Of course, we can improve in some areas, but Zimbabwe is ready for China,” Nyika said.
“The Chinese market is huge, and the only thing that was limiting us was the absence of these trade protocols to allow direct exports.”
This comes at a time when China has announced its intention to offer tariff-free entry for African products.
