ZimTrade, the national trade development and promotion organisation was, on Wednesday 13 March 2019, awarded the SADC Annual Quality Award for the best Company in the ‘Organisations with less than 100 employees’ category. The event was held at a glamorous event held at the Safari Hotel and Convention Centre in Windhoek, Namibia.
The SADC Annual Quality Awards aim to appreciate organisations which are contributing to advancement in quality in all sectors of SADC. They recognise organisations which showcase measurement and quality systems, procedures and processes that are in line with local, regional and international practices and who use continuous improvement to support national and regional economic development and growth.
Representing Zimbabwe, this is the second consecutive year that the organisation has won this particular award. ZimTrade is certified under ZW ISO 9001:2015 which focuses on Quality Management Systems.
“Standards and certifications are a key component of export competitiveness and without them our companies have limited or no access to the lucrative global markets. With that in mind, as ZimTrade, we work hard to ensure that our local businesses adopt relevant quality standards which will open a gateway into lucrative markets,” said ZimTrade Chief Executive Officer Mr. Allan Majuru.
International standards also play a part in reducing technical barriers to trade, reducing production costs and offering opportunities for economies of scale on the international trade arena. Standardisation is an integral instrument that can contribute to Zimbabwe’s economic growth and prosperity through the development of sustainable exports.
Additionally, the implementation of, and certification to international standards, by Zimbabwean companies, are a signal of quality to global customers, thus boosting the export potential and image of the nation. The issue of national brand building is critical and can be achieved through upscaling of quality standards.
“As ZimTrade we aim to be exemplary. We can only urge Zimbabwean companies to adhere to international standards if we ourselves are applying the same. Therefore, for us, standards are a culture, and we are proud to bring this token back home, as it celebrates not only us as an Organisation but Zimbabwe as a nation,” said Majuru.
Publish Date: Friday 15 March 2019
