Mzuzu gears up for trade fair

The Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) has organised a three-day regional trade fair in Mzuzu this weekend.

Speaking at a media briefing in Mzuzu yesterday, MCCCI chief operating officer Chimwemwe Luhanga said the fair has been organised under the theme Promoting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) for an Inclusive and Robust Economy.

He said this is to allow small business players to showcase their products as well as get access to bigger players.

“We are coming from a background of Mzuzu having the majority of businesses in the SMEs category. So, we would want those to be promoted. And studies by the World Bank have shown that the majority of the people employed are in the SME sector. We believe that if SMEs are promoted and given an opportunity to thrive that will have direct implications on inclusiveness and robustness of the economy,” said Luhanga.

He encouraged businesses in Mzuzu to take advantage of the fair to promote their businesses.

“In our previous surveys, we found out that small businesses in Mzuzu find it very expensive to travel to Blantyre to participate at the Malawi International Trade Fair. It became necessary for us to respond to that demand and start conducting fairs at regional level. So, it is very

important that businesses take part in this activity for interaction if their businesses are to thrive,” Luhanga said.

He said at the end of the fair, MCCCI expects small businesses in Mzuzu to establish relationships with bigger businesses from other regions.

“Apart from benefiting from linkages, we also expect that they will have showcased their products to potential consumers. This will also be a good platform for those who want to conduct market researches to understand what the demands of consumers are,” said Luhanga.

Mzuzu-based Africans Invest in Africa (AIA) managing director Killy Msukwa said he expects the fair to improve the environment of SMEs in the region for the growth of the country’s economy. n