By Bulawayo Correspondent
THE Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) company has launched a new service called Infrastructure and Built Environment Confex (AfriConfex), an exhibition which specifically targets buyers and sellers within the built environment value chain.
The exhibition is expected to take place at the ZITF in October this year.
The new exhibition joins a catalogue of ZITF’s annual specialised expos such as the Mine Entra, Scholastica, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and the company’s flagship, Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF).
ZITF board chairperson Busisa Moyo said the two day expo will be held from 20 to 21 October.
“The event comes at an opportune time given the Zimbabwean government’s infrastructural development plan to achieve a middle-class economy by 2030 and the fast-approaching end of the First Ten Year Implementation Plan (FTYIP) of Africa’s Agenda 2063 (2013 – 2023).
“Investment in large-scale infrastructure projects has been and continues to be one of the cornerstones of Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy (NDS1), which outlines our roadmap to achieve economic growth and stability,” said Moyo in a statement.
Moyo said the event will be the country’s biggest gathering of buyers and sellers within the entire built environment value chain, creating a single platform for knowledge sharing across the different sectors, sub-sectors and segments within the value chain.
Moyo said it had become apparent that the industry and market were primed for a stand-alone event outside Mine Entra, where building and construction had previously been showcased.
“The inaugural AfriConfex will therefore provide a key platform for the sharing of local and regional experiences, technical knowledge exchange and a discussion of crosscutting challenges, opportunities and learnings with a view of drawing up actionable resolutions to achieve industry and economic growth,” said Moyo.
The event which is being organised in partnership with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development will take place under the theme, “Solid Foundation. Stronger Future. – Exploring Linkages in the Infrastructure Value Chain.”
He said the theme rallies the industry and its stakeholders to engage in solution-oriented discourse and implement catalytic actions aimed at the success and growth of the sector.
“We urge operators in and suppliers to the construction and infrastructure development sector to get in touch with us on how they can benefit from this new platform.
“These include, but are not limited to, contractors, developers, engineers and consulting engineers, quantity surveyors, financiers and investors, facility management entities, manufacturers of construction equipment, materials and consumables, development agencies, local authorities, infrastructure-related government departments, government implementing agencies, and other interested stakeholders,” said Moyo.
