The ZANU PF Business Conference is held annually, presenting an opportunity for organisations to showcase their activities and products. It is also an opportunity for networking, getting customer feedback and pointers for new research areas. It is against this background that the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC), its unit the Technological and Commercial Information Promotion System (TIPS) and its commercial arm the Zimbabwe Technological Solutions (ZTS) exhibited at the 2024 ZANU PF Business Conference that ran concurrently with this year’s edition of the ZANU PF People’s Conference.
The ZANU PF Business Conference ran under the theme: Industrialize and Modernize Towards the Attainment of Vision 2030. The theme was very apt as Zimbabwe focuses on attaining Vision 2030 of an empowered upper middle income society.
SIRDC and its units showcased the following products:
- traditional grains food products: zviyo porridge, Sorghum meal, and finger millet meal and mutakura mix
- herbal teas
- Sirdamaize 113
- Fruiting Mushroom bags
- Foundry products
The Centre also showcased its other products and services through videos, an E-book and flyers that were distributed to visitors to the stand. Samples of Sirdamaize 113 and 115 were also distributed to visitors who showed great interest in the maize seed varieties.
In general, the highest number of the clients were interested in the mushroom training programme and the Sirdamaize brand.
Some of the notable visitors to the stand included:
- Honourable Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri – Chairperson of ZANU PF and Minister of Defence
- Honourable Judith Ncube – Minister of State and Devolution for Bulawayo Province
- Honourable Raj Modi – Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce
- Dr Nick Ndebele – SIRDC Board Member and Chief Executive Officer of the Trade Fair Company
- Mr Edmund Makona – Chief Executive Officer of Air Zimbabwe
- Ivan Craig – Sales and Marketing Director, Agriseeds (Pvt) Ltd
Mr Tichaona Maponga – Valley Seeds
