This year’s edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) is set to revolve around industrialisation. This was revealed by the organisers of the event, the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Company, in a brochure on the event released recently.
The exhibition, which is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year, and is pencilled for 21 to 26 April, is set to be held under the theme: “Industrialisation: Crafting an integrated economic landscape.”
“This year’s focus will be on showcasing cutting-edge advancements in manufacturing, technology, agriculture, and value-added services, emphasising the need for a robust and competitive industrial base. Key areas of exploration will include strategies to maximise the manufacturing industry’s contribution to the growth of upstream and downstream industries, specifically by focusing on tooling and re-tooling, infrastructure development, access to finance, market expansion, and export diversification,” read part of the document.
The first three days of the event, which is dubbed the Blue Sapphire Edition, will be dedicated to business activity while the remainder will see the show being open to the public. The event’s flagship concurrent event, the ZITF International Business Conference, and other events such as the ZITF Innovators Forum, the Connect Symposium, the ZITF Charity Golf Challenge are pencilled to run during the course of the trade fair week. The official opening of the exhibition has been set for 25 April.
According to the event document, the ZITF Company is expecting over 800 exhibitors and in excess of 30 countries to participate. In 2024, a total of 760 exhibitors participated in the exhibition, while 27 countries took part in the international show. The company is anticipating over 10 000 business visitors and 75 000 total visitors. During the last edition, 8 124 business visitors went through the event venue gates.
Meanwhile, the ZITF Company released its 2025 events calendar. The schedule includes two new events, the Livestock Conference slated for 5 and 6 March and a Technology Expo, which is set for 4 to 6 June. The Green Business Expo, a climate change conference and exhibition, which was introduced last year but could not be held owning to the effect of the SADC Industrialisation Week and the 44th SADC Summit on local events, is now set to be held from 24 to 26 September. The Africa infrastructure and built environment (AfriConfex) is set for 8 to 10 October.
Scholastica, an education, careers and training event, which has always run concurrently with the ZITF, is now a stand-alone event that is expected to be held from 30 July to 1 August. The Sanganayi/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo, which is organised by the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) and held at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre (ZIEC), is part of the calendar although its dates are yet to be advised.