One of the country’s key players in the air freight industry, Air Cargo Malawi Limited, says greater collaboration between local investors in the mining sector and financial service providers is key to the growth of exports in the extractive and mining industry.
The company’s chief executive officer, Thokozani Unyolo, observed this during her tour of Mzimba Gemstone Cooperative, that there is a myriad of opportunities in this upcoming industry especially now when there is more awareness on the value of rare stones by communities.
“People don’t understand much about mining activities, especially those who are financiers in top positions and working in the mining department in Government. Currently, financiers are coming from Mozambique and Zambia because they understand the potential this industry holds. If financial service providers and those Malawians with resources had similar understanding, then this industry would thrive,” says Unyolo.
Unyolo proposed the visit around building relationships with a range of clientele within the Gemstone sector value chain. ACM is a key stakeholder in that value chain because it facilitates exportation of the rare stones to target markets.
Mzimba is one of the leading districts in the availability of Rose quartz with a monthly estimation of 200 tons given stable market and machinery.
“The tour was primarily about building and strengthening partnerships with our key clients that export Gemstones. We also had a chance to understand the challenges and opportunities in the sector so that we engage other key stakeholders from an informed position,” she says.
Air Cargo Malawi also believes that if the country extensively carries out mining activities under an organized regime, the economy could earn the much needed forex.
True to Unyolo’s assertions, mining has been singled out as one of the three focus sectors earmarked to drive the country’s socioeconomic growth as dictated under the long-term Vision Malawi and its first ten-year short-term plan known as MW2063 Implementation Plan 1(MIP1).
Agriculture and Tourism are the other two sectors in a trending tagline known as the ATM Strategy.
