A number of Zimbabweans have supported the Buy Zimbabwe Week campaign saying the initiative is good for promoting local products to be competitive on the domestic and international markets.
Customers at TM Pick n Pay Machipisa in Harare yesterday said they prefer local products because they are healthy and organic compared to imported commodities.
“I enjoy consuming local products because they are organic especially food. I have a child in form two at Chemhanza High in Wedza, she knows that whenever l buy her groceries for school, l only choose local products. There is no way l can buy peanut butter or cornflakes from South Africa yet we have plenty of these products in Zimbabwe. Honestly speaking, Zimbabwean products are healthy,” said Chenai Chibanda.
“Zimbabwean products are good . When l buy them l have a sense of ownership. Do you know that those in the diaspora miss home food a lot, l have cousins in the UK, whenever we talk on the phone they always say they miss home food.
“Sometimes we send them mazoe orange crush and cerevita and even maputi. Just imagine, personally l will remain in Zimbabwe, this is my country and l’m proud of it,” said Getrude Kumbirai.
“One thing l understand about supporting local industry is that we will be supporting our own brothers and sisters who are working in the industries. Do you know that whenever l buy things with my wife we bless our money?
“When we pay for our groceries, we silently bless all those who have helped bring this food to us: the farmers who have grown it, the delivery people who have carried it and the store clerks who have stocked it and obviously these are local people,” said Reverend Tendai Kunashe.
However some bemoaned the absence of local products in supermarket shelves and said the commodities should be stocked during the festive season for the convenience of those using local currency.
“We love local products but however some of the products are no longer found in supermarkets where they accept local currency. They are found in tuck shops around the country and they are pegged in United States dollars. I wonder what is going on, Buy Zimbabwe must intervene,” said Trish Gombwiro.
“I love buying local goods. However, some of the products are very expensive especially in RTGS. The rate will be just too high for someone like me who lives in Highfield. Buy Zimbabwe must work together with the government to deal with this otherwise we are Zimbabweans and this is our motherland, when we die we will be buried here, so we should be proud of it,” said Steward Gotosa.
“This year there seems to be no rains, l wonder if people are going to be spending during the festive season because there seems to be a drought next year. This is the right moment for local companies to lower their prices for people to buy more during Christmas and New Year especially those in rural areas,” said Rufaro Mavezha.
The Buy Zimbabwe Week is running from the 27th of November 2023 to the 1st of December 2023 under the theme ‘Defend and grow Zimbabwean products’. The participating wholesalers and retailers this year are N Richards, Gain Cash and Carry, Mahomed Mussa, Pick and Pay, Spar, OK Zimbabwe, TV Sales and Home, Teecherz Home and Office and Bata.
