Trade fairs: Lost opportunity?

This year’s Malawi International Trade Fair (Mitf) is themed – Presenting opportunities for industrial growth – an emphasis that international exposure may spur business growth.

Malawi has been running international trade fairs for the past 25 years. As the Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) notes in one of its brochures, the fairs bring together exhibitors from beyond Malawi – the rest of Africa, Asia, America and Europe.

This international exposure, therefore, gives local businesses the opportunity to connect and showcase their goods and services to the rest of the world. The fair gives local businesses an opportunity to market their products and services and enhance brand and product visibility and generate leads that help drive sales.

However, this year’s Mitf has started on a low note, according to Lilongwe Curios vice chairperson Benson Siziyo.

In an interview, Sunday Siziyo, noted that this year’s Mift has not been given much publicity apparently due to the fact that it was officially opened by the Vice-President Khumbo Kachale and not the President as has been the case over the years.

“By this time last year, I was busy attending to customers due to the high publicity it was given before the official opening. Last year’s fair was beneficial to us because it led to customers from America and Europe asking for our products.

” I have attended trade fairs in Kenya and Tanzania to showcase our curios, and customers love our products. Malawi curios are marketable but our procedures are very restrictive and not clear. We also need support to take part in trade fairs in the region or beyond,” he said.

Mapeto DWSM general manager, Martin Mpata, responding to an e-mailed questionnaire after a visit to their stand, said trade fairs are important to businesses.

“We gain a lot of exposure to national and international community. We have not attended other international trade fairs, but we will attend some from this year,” said Mpata.

Over 250 local and inte-rnational companies are attending this year Mitf and according to MCCCI communications officer Natasha Kalea, participants will learn new technologies and showcase their products and services to both local and international markets.

She said that the fair will provide business to business matchmaking meetings, business workshops and business days.

Some of the companies participating include Pakistan, India, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Tanzania, Malaysia, Botswana, Egypt and Kenya.

Minister of Industry and Trade Sosten Gwengwe said the fair is important to Malawi as it graduates from an agricultural-based economy to an exporting industrial nation.