Johannesburg - South Africa and Zimbabwe have agreed to
boost development of small enterprises and co-operatives in both countries, the
trade and industry department said on Wednesday.
A team responsible for co-operative development in South
Africa would visit Zimbabwe by February 2013, according to an agreement signed
between the two countries in Harare on Tuesday.
"(It will) study the setting up of a co-operative
training academy in that country, explore areas of commodity exchanges and
facilitate trade among co-operatives from both countries," the department
said in a statement.
"The group will also study... a franchise that seeks to
facilitate relationships between small manufacturers, suppliers and the
co-operatives, especially in rural areas."
Deputy Trade and Industry Minister Elizabeth Thabethe said
in a statement: "The expected beneficiaries of these visits and
interaction between governments will be business people themselves. There is a
lot that our countries can co-operate in for the development of our small
business sector."
The Small Enterprise Development Agency of SA its Zimbabwean
counterpart would meet soon to discuss areas of co-operation and the
possibility of signing a memorandum of understanding by year-end.