WE ARE NOW RESTOCKING, SAYS OK

Zimbabwe’s retail sector is showing signs of recovery as Government reforms, especially on exchange rate determination, take effect, with listed retail giant OK Zimbabwe Limited among those on the rebound.

Government launched the Zimbabwe Industrial Reconstruction and Growth Plan for the

This emerged yesterday during an assessment by the Parliamentary Committee on Industry and Commerce, which is conducting nationwide evaluations to gauge the ease of doing business and engage directly with retailers to understand their challenges.

Speaking during the tour of OK Mart, the group company secretary, Mrs Margaret Munyuru, said the firm was now on a recovery path.

“We have already started restocking. A few weeks ago, even a month and a half ago, you would have noticed that even Mazoe was missing on the shelves. The shelves are now filling up,” she said.

The committee’s chairperson, Clemence Chiduwa, who is also Zaka South Member of Parliament (Zanu PF), said the Government’s efforts to stabilise the economy and support the revival of retail businesses were yielding positive results.

“Obviously, for us, we are looking at the revival of the retail sector, and we are happy that the Government is working hard on that,” he said.

“We have seen the reforms that are going on, especially on exchange rate determination. And all this should assist the sector to grow again.”

Cde Chiduwa said the visit to OK Mart was part of a broader effort to understand retail sector operations.

“I think if you wait a number of years, you will know the problems that are being faced by the retail sector. But what came out from the deliberation mostly is only exchange rate issues,” he said.

Cde Chiduwa said findings from these visits will be consolidated into a report for Parliament, with recommendations aimed at further strengthening the sector.

Despite signs of recovery, Cde Chiduwa acknowledged some lingering challenges shared by retailers, including distortions in the exchange rate market, foreign currency shortages, inconsistent power supply, and regulatory hurdles.

“The distortions that are happening in the exchange rate market, the shortages of foreign currency, power, regulatory requirements. And we are upset,” he said.

Cde Chiduwa said beyond major retail outlets, the committee is also focusing on Zimbabwe’s vast informal sector, which plays a crucial role in the economy.

“After we are done here, we are also going to the downtown area, where we are going to look at the compliance level, especially in the informal sector,” he said.

Cde Chiduwa said the committee’s outreach extends across multiple cities, including Harare, Mutare, Chiredzi, Bulawayo, and Gweru.