Story by Gay Matambo
SMALL to Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) in Chiredzi have hailed the establishment of a centre to operate from, saying it has brought order in the town, while offering an opportunity for growth of their small businesses.
A few years ago, Mrs Susan Gumbwanda had a cat-and-mouse relationship with the local authorities in Chiredzi town as she used to sell groceries and home accessories at different undesignated places.
The establishment of the Chiredzi SMEs centre last year has seen Mrs Gumbwanda and 300 other SMEs in the area securing decent working spaces, leading to the growth of their businesses.
“I want to thank our government for spearheading such partnerships, which have led to this project being a success. When we were in the streets, it was difficult to grow our businesses. I now have two shops here, which was never going to be possible if I were operating in the streets. The council used to chase us away, and most times we would not be able to work properly because we were on the run, running away from the council. So being here has ensured that we grow, and also that our goods are safe. In the streets, there was no security, no toilets. It was not a proper environment to operate in, and no customers take you seriously when you are selling under a tree. The establishment of this centre has indeed positively impacted our growth as SMEs in Chiredzi, and we are grateful,” a beneficiary said.
The centre, which was constructed under a public-private partnership model between the Chamber of SMES and the Chiredzi Town Council, has also enabled SMEs to formalise their operations.
Most of the SMEs here were informal, and now that they are here, it means they are formally trading and are registered with ZIMRA, and they are now paying tax. They are now contributing to the country’s economy. Most SMEs can now grow and are able to access financial support because they can use their shops as collateral to get financial assistance. It is now easy to facilitate programmes related to training because they are in one place,” Zimbabwe Chamber of SMES Secretary General, Mr Venancio Kurauone
Meanwhile, two other similar projects in the Buffalo Range area and Chiredzi town are set to be commissioned soon, with close to 900 SMEs expected to benefit from the initiative.
