The Dominican Republic’s Embassy in South Africa has hosted high-level discussions with a prominent Zimbabwean entrepreneur to explore new commercial opportunities in the cotton-textile-garment value chain.
Ambassador Erika Álvarez Rodríguez welcomed Nicky Moyo, CEO of Octopus Ventures and Deed Capital, for a focused business dialogue at the embassy in Pretoria. The meeting was also attended by Minister Counselor Carlos Vicioso and Counselor Luis F. Rodríguez.
Talks centred on potential investment and production linkages, with particular emphasis on Zimbabwe’s established cotton production capacity and the Dominican Republic’s strengths in apparel manufacturing and export-oriented industry. Participants examined how bilateral collaboration could create integrated supply chains, positioning the Dominican Republic as a strategic nearshoring platform for access to the United States market.
Zimbabwe, one of southern Africa’s leading cotton producers, stands to gain from closer ties with Dominican expertise in garment processing and preferential trade arrangements, including benefits under the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). For its part, the Dominican Republic sees value in diversifying raw material sources amid global efforts to strengthen and regionalise textile supply chains.
The engagement underscores growing momentum in South-South economic cooperation, as developing nations seek to build resilient cross-continental partnerships that leverage complementary strengths in agriculture and manufacturing.
