By Trevor Makonyonga
The Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) has been postponed to September 21-24.
This was revealed by the board chairman, Busisa Moyo who cited the current Level 4 lockdown as the reason.
“Following the extension of the national Level 4 lockdown announced by His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe Cde E.D. Mnangagwa last week, the ZITF Company Board & Management wishes to officially advise exhibitors, service providers, registered buyers, business visitors and other stakeholders of the decision to postpone the 2021 edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair to 21-24 September 2021.”
The postponement has been approved by the government and apologised for the delay.
He added, “The decision to postpone the fair was reached with the approval of the Government of Zimbabwe and after consultation with a wide cross-section of stakeholders. With the continued ban on intercity travel, it has been difficult for out-of-town exhibitors to effectively plan their participation and bring in their exhibits, particularly for those without Bulawayo offices.
“Consequently, postponing the tradeshow to September provides exhibitors with more time to adequately prepare for their participation without contravening national lockdown regulations. Navigating the business landscape in these turbulent times has required an unprecedented level of agility and resilience across the board. We therefore wish to take this opportunity to commend our various stakeholders for their continued patience and forbearance in these continually evolving circumstances whilst simultaneously apologising unreservedly for any inconvenience caused by the postponement.
“Ensuring stakeholder safety at our events and venues remains at the top of our agenda. To that end, we have shared the ZITF 2021 Safety and Risk Management Participant Guidelines that outline the rigorous measures, which will be in effect at the show. We will continue to keep our stakeholders informed of any new developments.”
Moyo urged all exhibitors to take advantage of this extended planning horizon and continue to prepare for their participation to ensure that the show is of the same excellent standard, which ZITF has been traditionally known for.
