Senior Reporter

Zimbabwe is set to deepen its collaboration with Australian businesses that are keen to tap into the country's vast mineral resources, the country's Ambassador to Australia Joe Tapera Mhishi has said.

The Australia Business Summit Council (ABSC) is set to come on a second visit to Zimbabwe in August, to further explore collaboration in the mining sector following an initial visit during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in April, the first Australian business delegation to visit the country in over 20 years.

Addressing delegates at the council's annual gala dinner held in Sydney last week, Ambassador Mhishi said investors from the ABSC wanted to follow-up that first visit to finalise discussions and negotiations that had been initiated.

"The recent visit to Zimbabwe by the Melbourne-based business delegation focused on the mining sector and also on other non-mining sector-related investment opportunities. l am proposing that we mount a business mission to Zimbabwe with the distinguished members of the Australia Business Summit Council. The visit could be at the end of August this year.

"In the last week of August every year, Zimbabwe hosts the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show.

"This would be a perfect opportunity for the Business Council Summit members to witness for themselves various investment opportunities in Zimbabwe's economy. In addition to witnessing the Agricultural Show, we would line up meetings with key stakeholders that reflect investment areas of interest to your distinguished Business Council Summit members," he said.

Australian companies took the lead in exploring for natural gas and petroleum condensates and were the first to find large proven reserves of lithium.