SMELLY Dube (SD), chief executive officer of River Valley Holdings, has been making waves in Zimbabwe's business landscape. In this interview with our assistant editor, Mthandazo Nyoni (MN), she shared her insights on leadership, entrepreneurship and community development. With a track record in the land development and mining sectors, Dube offered valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and outlined her vision for River Valley Properties and Tebekwe Mine. Below are excerpts from the interview:
MN: As the CEO of River Valley Properties, what are your company's short-term and long-term goals, and how do you plan to achieve them?
SD: For short-term goals, the major priorities are to ensure that all our housing projects are in good shape. This includes establishing lucrative residential properties that are in line with the Smart City concept and thrust to provide modern housing. I can tell you that we have big plans for Hertfordshire low density residential suburb in Gweru. We expect to turn it into a world-class settlement. In Bulawayo, our River Valley Park project is also coming up and we want it to transform the city's skyline. At River Valley Group of Companies, we also have plans to expand our divisions, for example the Continental Groceries retail division, increase production at Tebekwe Mine, venture into large scale crop and animal production at Hychania Farm, just to mention a few. In terms of long-term goals, we plan to expand our footprint into the Eurasia region. We have already started the ground work and I am sure we will update you when we kick-off.
MN: Zimbabwe has a housing backlog of more than two million. As a company, how are you going to complement the government in housing delivery?
SD: We strongly believe in the mantra “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo” (a country is built by its own people) and this means as River Valley Properties, we have a part to play in the provision of decent housing to all citizens. We have already started doing that, look at our housing projects, Woodlands Park, Mkoba 12 Infill, Hertfordshire Park, Magakooshla, we have provided homes to thousands of people. I believe this is a good start. Our other projects, Mabula in Zvishavane and Lower Rangemore 27A in Bulawayo are also shaping up for about 3 500 home-seekers to secure residential stands and build their dream homes. The plan is always to expand our footprint in the country and I believe we will do that in future.
MN: Can you provide specific numbers on the housing units delivered by River Valley Properties in Gweru and Bulawayo to date?
SD: In Gweru, Woodlands Park and Hertfordshire Park have a combined total of over 7 000 housing units, while our Bulawayo housing project has about 3 500 residential stands.
MN: Looking ahead to 2025, what are your company's targets for housing delivery, and what strategies will you employ to achieve these targets?
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SD: Our strategy will remain the same, offering affordable options to our clients. The majority of our clients are low-income earners and this is because we have made it possible for them to buy our stands through coming up with affordable and even concessionary payment terms. We are not driven by profit, but rather the motive to provide people places to live which they call their own. In 2025, this will be our main strategy.
MN: Are there any partnerships or collaborations that River Valley Properties is exploring with other stakeholders, such as financial institutions or non-profit organisations, to support housing delivery?
SD: At River Valley Properties, we believe that you cannot achieve anything on your own. From the beginning, we have forged a lot of partnerships. For example, we partnered with National Building Society (NBS) when we developed the Magakooshla housing project in Shurugwi.
We have a strong partnership with NMB Bank as well.
Let me add that for the Bulawayo housing project, we will be partnering with NMB Bank as we provide families with spaces to build homes. Apart from financial institutions, we have created partnerships with real estate agents, the security sector and not forgetting the government itself, all its tiers, and land developers such as Sheasham Investments.
MN: As a co-director at Tebekwe Mine, what strategies have you implemented to ensure the mine's operations are socially responsible and beneficial to the local community?
SD: Tebekwe Mine is involved in a number of corporate social responsibility initiatives in Shurugwi. We pay school fees for about 24 learners (primary, secondary and tertiary education) in Shurugwi District, give grocery hampers to over 20 widows of war veterans in Shurugwi every Heroes Day, supporting traditional leaders with fuel, supporting inmates at Shurugwi female prisons (and their children at times) with clothing. We have supported Shurugwi District Hospital with sundries, rehabilitated a hostel at Shurugwi Prison etc. These are just some of our CSR (corporate social responsibility) activities we carry out.
MN: The mining sector is often associated with environmental degradation. What measures has Tebekwe Mine taken to mitigate its environmental impact?
SD: At Tebekwe Mine, we have adopted ESG (environmental, social and governance) standards, because they guide us to ensure that our operations do not harm the environment. Firstly, we have made sure our perimeter fence is intact to keep animals and children off. We do not want children and livestock coming into contact with any affluent.
Secondly, we do not discharge effluent into natural drainage channels, we make sure it is controlled and diverted to areas where it is safely disposed of.
Thirdly, we secure all operational shafts and refill disused ones. Our blasting operations are also controlled and we always try to implement air pollution suppression measures.
MN: What role do you think the private sector can play in supporting Zimbabwe's economic development, and how can companies such as River Valley Properties and Tebekwe Mine contribute to this effort?
SD: The private sector is crucial to Zimbabwe`s development. On its own, it provides a lot of services to citizens. For example, at River Valley Properties, we have provided homes to thousands. We create and service roads, install water and sewer infrastructure, support local authorities with equipment and machinery, provide commercial spaces for service providers and support community initiatives under our non-profit making initiatives.
We also provide employment, for example, Tebekwe Mine employs over 150 people. The private sector also leads in technology and innovation. We are also open for PPPs (public-private partnerships), for example the Magakooshla housing project involved partnership with the government, or on Mkoba 12 we partnered with Gweru City Council.
MN: Congratulations on your consistent recognition at the African Achievers Awards. What drives your leadership philosophy, and how do you stay motivated to excel in your industry?
SD: Thank you, and I want to start by expressing my gratitude for the opportunity. I believe it is by the grace of God that we keep being recognised at such a level. Looking back, when we started the company River Valley Properties, we never thought we would reach this far, being consistently recognised at local, regional, continental and global level.
Leadership is a gift, and this gift is mainly the ability to create a team, guide the team, create a conducive work space, leverage on each other's strengths, motivate the team, believe in your team and make it part of your vision.
For me, that is the most effective form of leadership. To stay motivated, apart from praying for strength, I always set targets for myself, to say, this year, these are the things I want to achieve. I then keep my eyes on the ball, with the help of my family, especially my husband, Engineer Mncedisi Dube and staff.
MN: Looking back on your career, what have been some of the most significant challenges you have faced, and how did you overcome them?
SD: Like everyone else, I have faced a lot of trials, challenges and setbacks. It is not a secret that for more than a decade, Zimbabwe's economy has not been healthy and as a businessperson, investing in such an environment is very risky.
We have had some investments that went up in smoke, shelved some plans and were forced to close some operations. You know we have also faced some legal challenges. You probably remember I was once arrested on land-related allegations, but thank God, we proved that we had not done anything wrong. To overcome these challenges, I have to say believing that God was fighting our battles gave me strength. Also, my family supported me throughout.
Friends stood by me. The River Valley Group staff, stakeholders and our clients understood our situation.
MN: As a leader in both the land development and mining sectors, what advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to venture into these industries?
SD: I would say, investments sometimes take time to bear fruits, so do not be impatient to start getting returns. Always explore opportunities to expand, make wise financial decisions and give back to the community. That is where your blessings come from.
MN: What legacy do you hope to leave in the business world, and how do you envision River Valley Properties and Tebekwe Mine evolving in the years to come?
SD: The legacy I hope to leave is that of my philanthropic work. I am known as a businesswoman, yes, but I see myself mostly as a servant of the people. It is my philanthropic journey that makes me proud when I look back, bringing smiles to kids, widows, orphans, widowers, persons with disabilities, the sick and inmates.
This is my pride. I want that when I am gone, people would say: “Prof Smelly Dube lived one life, but lived it for many”. My vision for RVP and Tebekwe Mine is to see them grow, expand geographically, vertically and horizontally, employ more people and impact the lives of many more people.
