Story by Owen Mandovha
HARARE-YOUNG Zimbabwean innovators have been urged to harness the opportunities presented by the National Venture Capital Company of Zimbabwe (NVCCZ) to transform their ideas into successful enterprises, as the Government intensifies support for youth-led innovation under its economic development strategy.
This comes as the NVCCZ, in collaboration with Old Mutual, disbursed US$50 000 in seed capital to KumbaCare, a youth-led telemedicine startup founded by Ms Agatha Mandovha, during an event held in Harare this Tuesday.
KumbaCare offers a mobile-based healthcare platform tailored to serve rural and marginalised communities, enabling users to access health consultations for as little as US$1 per month, with benefits valued at US$30.
“We came up with a solution that targets rural communities and underprivileged people by offering an affordable telemedicine solution using mobile platforms to seek health assistance from experts by just paying a dollar monthly but getting a US$30 package,” she said.
The NVCCZ was established as part of Government’s efforts to drive innovation and create employment by offering funding support to viable youth-led projects across sectors.
NVCCZ Chief Executive Officer, Mr Tino Kambasha, emphasised that the initiative is a strategic intervention aimed at unlocking the potential of young entrepreneurs to contribute meaningfully towards national development.
“We are here to solve support these young innovators who are determined to solve the country’s problems in our quest to attain an upper middle income society by 2030. We are working with young entrepreneurs through Old Mutual and this indeed is a new era to support entrepreneurship by Government,” he said.
Old Mutual Zimbabwe, a key partner in the initiative, plays a pivotal role in identifying and nurturing promising ideas through its Innovation Hub, located in Harare.
“We offer a platform where young people can develop their ideas and pitch them through structured innovation challenges. The most promising projects, such as KumbaCare, are then funded by NVCCZ,” group’s Marketing, Public Affairs and Sustainability Executive, Mrs Lilian Mbaiwa said.
Deputy Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Honourable Kudakwashe David Mnangagwa, reaffirmed Government’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship as a complementary strategy to direct job creation.
“We have the mandate to create jobs but by establishing the NVCCZ we know that entrepreneurship can create more jobs than what we can do and this shows and demonstrates to other young people that they can realize their vision under the Second Republic,” he said.
The seed capital awarded to KumbaCare underscores the Second Republic’s commitment to transforming innovative ideas into viable businesses, positioning young Zimbabweans at the forefront of economic growth and inclusive development.
