Source: The Harare Times
By: Anyway Yotamu

HARARE – A 15 member South African business delegation led by Africa Grain and Seed (AGS) has brought into the country a massive investment portfolio that seeks to boost the Agricultural sector through partnerships with local farmers and start-up entities across the country.

Our investment portfolio will also target to realize and drive marketing narratives around security and investment opportunities in Zimbabwe.

Speaking after a presentation by Zimbabwe Investment Development Authority (ZIDA) official in Harare on Thursday, with representatives from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and the Revenue Authorities, AGS president Anthony Denga said the regional economic environment required nations to venture into bilateral partnerships that boost trade and investment.

“This round table Thought Leaders Investment conversation is a pre-cursor to the investment portfolio targeted at Zimbabwe, the strategy aims to realize and refine narratives around security and investment in Zimbabwe”, said Denga.

“We need to invest in agriculture and we want to bring in investors in the mining sector as well, we want to create jobs and ownership to Zimbabwean people through Zimbabwe Investment Development Authority (ZIDA) and our partners so that we can create more businesses for those that require and uplift the lives of the less privileged in our society and change their life so that they can be able to live on their own with the resources that we will bring. The meeting held in Zimbabwe give us confidence in the investments we want to bring into Zimbabwe such as fresh produce buy-back programmes, cannabis, mining, and Agri processing facility. The cannabis investment will see up to 720 Zimbabweans employed through the international partnerships “, Black Famers Association of South Africa President & National Chairman of the Agriculture Steering Committee -Dr. Lennox Mtshagi said.

The delegation comprising of the Institute for Applied Alchemy (IAA), Black Famers Association of South Africa (BFASA), Kampay, Pathfinder Projects Africa (PTY), The Origin of Organics, Humble Smiles, and others who heeded the call from its strategic partner (AGS) & Goldstone & Co in the visit to Zimbabwe.

We are focused on driving the narrative of food security and gender inclusion into all primary sectors with the leadership of the Zimbabwean government said the director of the Institute of Applied Alchemy Chantel Oppelt

The business delegation met with several heads of local business organisations and business executives during their stay. Zimbabwe and South Africa share cordial relations which saw South Africa assisting the country in various sectors that include health, science, and technology development and scholarships.

AGS’ strategic alignment directly addresses the barriers, to access and the exploitation that have been imposed onto Africa.

Mrs. Hazvineyi Chiota said the partnership plays a pivotal role in articulating the problems of poverty alleviation, human progression, growth opportunities in macro-micro economics, and social policy.

Mrs. Zandile Matiwaza- Denga added that the investors were impressed at the ease of doing business in Zimbabwe as per President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s second Republic mantra which is to give investors’ confidence in the conducive climate that Zimbabwe is open for business towards its economic recovery, facilitates economic growth and create employment. With an array of investments that include fisheries, vineyards through the University of Stellenbosch, Agricultural programmes through BFASA, moringa value addition, and much more. Our gratitude goes to the Office of the Presidential Envoy and Ambassador at Large for Europe and Americas (OPEAAL) and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce that have given our investor the confidence and guidance of doing business in Zimbabwe.

Kampay is right now working with top collaborators to create microloans for farmers in Africa. Until recently, there was no safe way to finance agriculture in Africa because of corruptness and limitation of the technology said Dr. Chris Cleverly CEO of Kampay and Group President of Tingo