HARARE - About 58 percent of Zimbabwean manufactured goods are not certified, Zimtrade said.
To maintain standards and quality, goods are supposed to be certified by the Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ).
ZimTrade, a trade facilitation body for Zimbabwean exporters, said the uncertified products are uncompetitive on the global market thereby affecting the country’s export volumes.
“Today, market access success is linked to producing and delivering quality goods and services and meeting global market standards. The link between quality and standards on one hand and market access success on the other cannot be overemphasised,” ZimTrade said.
SAZ certification is a seal of approval that a product meets the standards set or demanded by the market.
It enhances the product’s acceptability by the consumers.
“Zimbabwean manufacturers and producers should, therefore, seek to know, understand and comply with the standards and regulations that can help establish and improve the credibility of their products or services in targeted markets,” the organisation said.
Deterioration of the economy coupled with the influx of cheap imports has badly affected the manufacturing sector.
According to a recent survey by the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries, manufacturing industry capacity utilisation has slumped to below 40 percent as companies fail to access lines of credit among other challenges.
Market observers say the substandard goods are a direct result of undercapitalisation in the sector.
“...non-certification can be a major factor in global market access and will serve as a technical barrier to trade,” said ZimTrade.