There are always two sides to a story. The chronic foreign exchange shortage causes hardship to some but presents an opportunity to others. Many businesses are unable to access foreign exchange in sufficient quantities, at prevailing prices and in a timely manner to pay for imports. This leaves a gap, or rather, creates a business opportunity.
There has always been a cry to buy local. However, buy local not for the sake of buying local. Buy local because the goods are of comparable value to their foreign counterparts. Not that locally produced goods must measure pound-for-pound with foreign competitors. In other words, the price-to-value ratio (i.e., what the consumer gets for the price paid) convinces the consumer that the product is a sound and rational alternative.
With no end in sight for the foreign exchange shortage, the opportunity for local goods to gain inroads into the market will persist. However, it is not a low hanging fruit. The market is too discerning to accept poor substitutes. The entrepreneur has to come good and then some.
