Government extended level 4 lockdown has forced the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) to postpone this year’s edition to 21-24 September 2021.
ZITF Board Chairman Busisa Moyo said the decision to postpone the fair was reached with the approval of the Government and after consultation with a widecross-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,” Moyo said in an announcement.
“Consequently, postponing the trade show to September provides exhibitors with more time to adequately prepare for their participation without contravening national lockdown regulations.”
This year’s ZITF was initially slated for 20 to 23 July 2021, but with the COVID-19 third wave the event was postponed.
A letter seen by a state owned newspaper to the government then gave two alternatives in terms of dates, the approved 21-24 September 2021 and the 28-1 October 2021.
Last year’s edition of ZITF failed to take place due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The exhibition will also take three days instead of the traditional five.
ZITF is supposed to run under the theme “Show casing the New Normal for Business and Industry: Realities and Opportunities”.
Eleven countries had registered participation in the 2021 edition including Angola, Belarus, Botswana, Indonesia, Japan, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania.
Space bookings had reached 90% to the capacity with 405 direct exhibitions.
