In a groundbreaking initiative, Guruve Rural District Council (RDC) has made a decisive move to foster local economic development by formalizing and supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) within its jurisdiction.
This bold action follows a council resolution aimed at driving SME formalization after a successful learn-and-appreciate tour to Chiredzi Town Council earlier this year, which has become a model for SME formalization model across Zimbabwe.
The initiative is a collaboration between Guruve RDC, the Indigenous Advisory Practitioners Association of Zimbabwe (IAPAZ), and the Zimbabwe Chamber of SMEs, with the goal of boosting local businesses and harnessing Domestic Direct Investments (DDI).
The inaugural Guruve Monthly SMEs Networking Breakfast is scheduled for 1 November 2024 at View point Guest Lodge and marks a critical step in realizing the council's ambition to drive industrialization, innovation, and the formalization of rural SMEs.
The event will provide local entrepreneurs with the opportunity to network, collaborate, and integrate into larger national and regional value chains.
Guruve RDC Council Chairperson, Councilor Fadson Mandaza, underscored the significance of the council's partnership with IAPAZ and the Zimbabwe Chamber of SMEs.
“Our goal is to operationalize President Mnangagwa’s vision by supporting our SMEs to formalize, innovate, and scale. We are equipping them to compete locally,regionally and internationally,” said Mandaza.
The council, however, recognizes the challenges that many local SMEs face, particularly siloism and an “arrivalist” mindset, where businesses fail to collaborate or look beyond local success.
"Our SMEs often operate in isolation, and while they may achieve success on a local level, their growth potential is limited without strategic partnerships and broader thinking,” explained, Revison Kanyepa, Guruve RDC Planner . To address this, Guruve has invited renowned entrepreneurs like Tinashe Manzungu as the keynote speakers for the event.
Manzungu is a distinguished business leader with interests spanning construction, financial services, and agriculture. He is the President of the Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association (ZBCA) and Founder of Zimbuild Property Investments. His entrepreneurial journey, which began with small real estate projects in Gweru, has evolved into managing enterprises across the national and regional landscape.
Manzungu’s story of growth and diversification serves as a blueprint for local entrepreneurs who aim to transcend village-level success and achieve regional influence.
Guruve’s economic landscape, primarily driven by mining, agriculture, retail, and tourism, is primed for expansion. With major assets like the Eureka Mine and proximity to the Invictus oil and gas wells, Guruve holds strategic importance in Zimbabwe’s broader economic future. Positioned along the Harare-Kanyemba Highway, which connects Zimbabwe to Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the district has the potential to become a vital gateway for regional trade.
Kanyepa noted, “Guruve's strategic location and its strong resource base provide a foundation for future growth. Our SMEs must be positioned to take advantage of these opportunities.”
The SME Networking Breakfast will attract large corporates, financial institutions, and businesses from key sectors like mining, agriculture, and tourism. These stakeholders will provide local SMEs with mentorship, financing, and partnership opportunities, integrating them into broader supply chains. “By linking our SMEs with larger corporate players, we are not only driving local economic growth but also ensuring their long-term sustainability,” Kanyepa emphasized.
This event also comes at a pivotal moment as Zimbabwe prepares to operationalize the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is expected to create a single African market. “With the AfCFTA on the horizon, our SMEs must be ready to compete regionally. This initiative will provide them with the tools, networks, and resources to thrive,” Kanyepa added.
Apart from local businesses, the event will also bring together school headmasters, church leaders, and business association representatives. A key focus will also be on helping school leaders commercialize their institutions in line with the government’s Education 5.0 policy, which emphasizes entrepreneurship and turning schools into business units. “Our headmasters need to forge strong connections with the corporate world to commercialize school business units, in line with the government’s objectives,” said Kanyepa.
The SME Networking Breakfast aims to ignite local development, positioning Guruve as a regional economic hub, while contributing to Zimbabwe's Vision 2030. The partnership between Guruve RDC, IAPAZ, and the Zimbabwe Chamber of SMEs will create a vibrant, resilient local economy, integrating SMEs into national and regional value chains. This unprecedented move will not only scale businesses but also promote the sustainable development of the district, making Guruve a model for rural economic transformation in Zimbabwe.