Join Forces,Women Urged

6 May 2011

Women entrepreneurs in the country have been challenged to join forces in order to overcome the challenges faced in breaking the export zone and subsequently the United States of America (USA) market.

African Women Entrepreneurship Programme (AWEP) secretary Jessica Grillo said in Lusaka yesterday that the challenges being faced by Zambian business executives in terms of breaking into the export market but that the hurdle could be beaten with better networking and having more information.

She was speaking at the AWEP workshop at which 50 women entrepreneurs participated.

“We have invited several bodies to talk to our women including the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido). They will teach them about the products,” she said.

Ms Grillo said her organisation had invited women from around the country who had products that could break into the export market.

She said AWEP wanted to empower women with the knowledge of the export market which included the raising of standards and improving on packaging.

She said Unido was providing a general overview of the American market, the regulatory requirements and the incentives under the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA).

Unido national project coordinator Caroline Makasa, said the American market was beckoning for African products.

Ms Makasa said supply level constraints and the high cost of freight were the biggest challenges.

She said many goods produced in Zambia were AGOA compliant and would enter the US market tax free.

And GIZ Trade Africa Network coordinator Peter Mphande said effective networking would help women not just know more about the line of business but find new opportunities.

Mr Mphande said 80 per cent of people find opportunities through networking and advised women to spend more of their time in networking.

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