Buy Zimbabwe is set to host its 10th anniversary awards to celebrate companies that have managed to create jobs, wealth and pride in Zimbabwe for the past ten years.
Speaking to Great Dyke News24, Buy Zimbabwe Chairman Munyaradzi Hwengwere said the awards which are slated for the 25th of March will honor companies that have excelled for over a decade in living by the ethos of Buy Zimbabwe.
“We are glad that we are partnering with ZBC, YAFM, Great Dyke News 24, and a number of media organisations that have come through, and these awards are on the 25th of March 2021.
“One thing is that we do is we select and put together an adjudication team made up of independent people and stipulate the criteria, but the most important thing is that does the company nominated have local content , is it environmentally sustainable and does it use it local labour,” he said.
He added that Buy Zimbabwe was launched in March 2011 and this year they are celebrating their 10th anniversary.
“Our focus from the beginning was to play our part, in ensuring that Zimbabweans get decent jobs, be wealthy, and be proud wherever they are and we have realised that the only way will be to use God-given resources and talents to produce and make the right buying decisions.
“As individuals, as Government, and as companies and we said we should work day and night to ensure that we push for the preference of locally produced goods and services.”
He added that Buy Zimbabwe is proud that so much has been done in the past years.
“On that basis, we came up with an insignia which identifies Zimbabwean products that have a minimum threshold. We started with 30 % at the time and now we are going to 50%.
“We said the product must be certified by a recognised certification board and we said it must meet minimum environmental standards.
“We also said in the process of producing that product, you must use local labour and we give you a sign and that is an insignia which is all over the shops.
“We said wherever consumers go, and whoever will be looking for a product must look for one with a Buy Zimbabwe insignia,” said Hwengwere.
Buy Zimbabwe is a social enterprise at the forefront of advocating for a more viable, inclusive, sustainable and internally acceptable industry support system premised on incentives for increased value chain based local procurement and disincentives for the continued importation of finished products and services.
Buy Zimbabwe’s mandate is to promote, deepen and broaden the utilisation of locally sourced and produced resources to yield quality and globally competitive Zimbabwean brands for sustainable economic growth.
A number of Mining companies from the Great Dyke like Zimplats and Mimosa Mining Company participate during the Buy Zimbabwe awards every year.
