Top British investors are reportedly taking advantage of their Prime Minister Theresa May’s visit to Africa on an investment, trade and diplomatic offensive mission in the continent ahead of United Kingdom’s official withdrawal from the European Union to scout for business opportunities in Zimbabwe.

On her African tour that ended on Friday, Mrs May was accompanied by a 29-member business delegation that saw her making three-stop overs in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya.

Although Zimbabwe was not part of the countries Mrs May visited, the British Department for International Trade invited Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) president and Securico Services founder Dr Divine Ndhlukula to speak on investment opportunities in Zimbabwe.

The invitation of Zimbabwe’s business, coupled with the rise in Western investors’ interest in the local economy, is a culmination of a charm offensive by President Mnangagwa who has been on a drive to re-engage with the community of nations and attract investment in the country as Zimbabwe is now open for business.

Mrs May’s visit to Africa has largely been necessitated by the need to build new economic partners for Europe’s second largest economy and have since put together a $10 billion war chest to be invested in Africa over the next four years.

“I am sure because of Brexit they are now focusing on Africa, because they realise that without partnerships, their economy might be headed for crush landing,” Dr Ndhlukula told The Sunday Mail Business on Thursday.

“From the speech she (Mrs May) delivered, they are pledging $10 billion for investment and development funding into Africa for the next four years.

“They are really keen on Zimbabwe and one of the things that impressed me was that they said the partnerships they are seeking must be based on a mutually beneficial foundation, not the big brother or sister mentality of the past,” she said. Sunday Mail