By Derrick Silimina
The Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) and the Trade Facilitation Office Canada (TFO) have organised a Buyer – Meeting between Zambian Sellers and South African buyers to establish new export contracts for women-owned Zambian agribusinesses.
Thirteen Zambian SMEs are participating in the buyer-seller meetings. The participating Zambian businesses have been trained by the ZDA in export readiness with the support of Canada TFO and are hence ready to compete and add value to their international clientele.
In a statement, ZDA Director General Albert Halwampa stated that the Agency has for the last four years collaborated with TFO in implementing the Women in Trade for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth (WIT) project.
“This is intended to help Zambian businesses access international markets and some of the activities that have already been implemented following the collaboration under the WIT project include training of trainers for ZDA staff; SME training, with over 100 companies trained; market familiarisation/access by facilitation of SMEs participation in the 2023 Africa big 7 exhibitions in South Africa and the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, April 2024,” Halwampa said this in a speech read on his behalf by Director Export Promotion Jessica Chombo.
In a meantime, Head of Office of the High Commission of Canada in Zambia Corry Van Gaal said Zambian women play a crucial role in agriculture, handicrafts, textiles, and other sectors.
“According to the World Bank, women represent about 70% of the agricultural workforce in Africa. Yet, they own only a fraction of the land and face barriers in accessing finance, markets, and training”, Van Gaal stated.
She said women also tend to traditional crops, adding that when women add value to the crops they yield higher profit margins, especially in specialty markets for health and wellness.
Van Gaal further stressed that the journey toward empowering women exporters in Africa is not just a matter of social justice but a strategic economic imperative.
“By unlocking the potential, and confidence of women, we can drive innovation, boost our economies, and create a more inclusive and prosperous Africa for all.”
