Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. South African small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have welcomed the reopening of the country’s border with Zimbabwe as its closure in March created ghost towns of border towns such Musina, Louis Trichardt, Polokwane and Ṱhohoyanḓou.
Rudzani Muleya, a Musina entrepreneur told CAJ News Africa that Zimbabweans are their chief customers and with the border closed, local businesses had been grounded. Said Muleya:
Without Zimbabweans coming to Musina, Louis Trichardt, Polokwane and Ṱhohoyanḓou, local businesses in Limpopo Province cannot be the same.
Zimbabweans are our chief customers. They possess buying power that transforms our economy.
Another South African entrepreneur, Shalati Chauke, said Zimbabweans are the economic pillars in Limpopo province as the economy and the economy bled a lot of jobs during the COVID-19.
The closure of the Beitbridge border post, the busiest in Sub-Saharan Africa, as part of efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus, affected SMEs in South Africa.
Zimbabwe has become a huge retailer for South African manufactured goods as a high number of Zimbabweans cross the border to buy some goods that are not always available in their country.
