Empowering ZimTrade with sustainable market intelligence tools
For the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), Globally Cool supported Zimbabwe’s national trade development agency, ZimTrade. This initiative was part of a broader strategy to enhance the competitiveness of Zimbabwean exporters by strengthening the internal capabilities of ZimTrade in the areas of market intelligence (MI), data analysis, international marketing, and trade policy interpretation.
Through a combination of on-site missions, virtual coaching, and product development, Globally Cool contributed to institutionalising a sustainable MI function at ZimTrade.
Year
2024 – 2025
Country
ZimbabweType of activity
- Market Intelligence
Activities
- Conducting two onsite training sessions in Harare to equip ZimTrade staff with advanced market research techniques, including AI tools like ChatGPT, Canva, and Synthesia. This training covered both foundational and advanced elements of MI.
- Developing and co-creating a set of standardised templates and a “How-To” Manual for MI reporting, ensuring consistency and quality in ZimTrade’s future outputs.
- Facilitating multiple virtual coaching sessions to support report development, template finalisation, and review of ongoing studies, including live feedback and troubleshooting.
- Guiding the creation and finalisation of the Blueberry Market Intelligence study, including primary and secondary research, market scoring, and competitive analysis.
- Engaging stakeholders such as the Dutch Embassy in Harare and ZimTrade’s senior management to align strategies and secure long-term commitment to the MI Strategy 2025.
Results
- Finalised Zimtrade's MI Strategy 2025, including a content calendar, activity plan, dissemination plan, organisational structure, business model, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework.
- Completed the Blueberry MI study, serving as a replicable model for future market intelligence products.
- Institutionalised the MI report template and research methodology, now adopted across nine additional product-market studies.
- Increased ZimTrade staff’s confidence and capacity to independently execute MI research and develop publish-ready outputs.
- Strengthened cross-departmental collaboration and stakeholder alignment, ensuring continuity and support beyond the project.