ED meets German investors 

Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday met a 14-member delegation of German businesspeople who expressed interest in investing in Zimbabwe. The team is led by Amatheon Agri Holdings chief executive officer Mr Carl Bruhn. The German investors are into farming, food processing, healthcare, housing, mining and energy.

Headquartered in Berlin, Amatheon Agri is an agribusiness entity with operations in African countries like Zambia and Uganda.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa said Government was ready to have German investors in every sector of the economy.

“The President met the 14-member delegation from Germany. They are very happy to be here and we are happy to receive them. The President took the opportunity to emphasise that Zimbabwe is open for business.

“He said they are welcome in every sector of our economy. If there are any challenges, bottlenecks or incentives, they are free to bring them on the table for us to discuss.

“We welcome their presence and we are going to warmly welcome their investments in Zimbabwe,” said Minister Chinamasa.

Mr Bruhn expressed faith in the new dispensation.
“It has been a great pleasure, meeting His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe. I came here the first time, four years ago with an investment in agriculture. Our background is farming and food processing.

“I was from the beginning amazed about these opportunities Zimbabwe has to offer. Zimbabwe is truly open for business and this is real to me. We see it, really, as a good starting point for us to expand our business while working with local partners,” he said.

Board chairman for B Braun Sharing Expertise, an international healthcare firm, Professor Heinz-Walter Grobe, said his company was keen on expanding investments in Zimbabwe.

“We were here since 2010 with a medical supply business. We supply private and public hospitals with surgical instruments and others. We are also in the dialysis business and we operate four centres with 100 patients. We are committed to expanding our business here in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Zimbabwean culture expert and Herald columnist Dr Sekai Nzenza was part of the delegation, in her capacity as the managing director for Amathoen Agri Zimbabwe.

Dr Nzenza said the readiness of the foreign investors to work with Zimbabwe was a reflection of President Mnangagwa’s re-engagement drive bearing fruit.

“It was very exciting to see high- profile businesspeople coming to Zimbabwe. It is part of President Mnangagwa’s re-engagement drive and we feel honoured. Mr Bruhn came here for the first time in 2014 but he is back again with more investors.

“It only confirms that he has faith in Zimbabwe. He also has faith in the new dispensation,” said Dr Nzenza.