Author(s): Godwell Karedza, Krishna K Govender
Zimbabwean SMEs which export processed products are not doing well presently and some of their products are almost non-existent in international markets such as the UK and even in some African markets, although these products used to dominate these markets between 1980- 1999. A survey using a questionnaire was thus conducted among a convenience sample of 345 SME owner-managers in food processing, textiles, footwear and furniture manufacture, to determine the relationship between marketing factors and export performance. The data from 345 respondents was analysed using Structural Equation Modelling to examine the relationship (expressed as hypotheses) between several factors, inter-alia, customer focus, customer value, export marketing barriers and industrial and export marketing characteristics and the export performance of SMEs.