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Business Reporter
BULAWAYO will this Saturday host an international trade fair for budding entrepreneurs and communal farmers as part of measures to enhance their operations and link them with the market.
The event is being organised by South Prosperity, a Swiss gobal organisation that facilitates economic development from grassroots level and has operations in Zimbabwe. Business advisor and organising/networking officer, Mr Brian Maseva, said the inaugural event will be held in the Central Business District (CBD) along Jason Moyo Street between 8th and 9th Avenues.
“We expect participants from Bulawayo and sister provinces in Matabeleland region as well as other parts of the country. The day is meant to give entrepreneurs an opportunity to showcase their products or services and share experiences,” he said.
“These are grassroot enterpreneurs who are engaged in trades such as peanut butter, homemade beverages and detergents, bee keeping, poultry, clothing, furniture and livestock production among others.
“We also expect representatives from vocational and technical training colleges, small scale service providers and sporting organisations to participate.”
Mr Maseva said they have invited Government and private sector officials with Bulawayo Provincial Minister, Judith Ncube, expected to deliver a keynote address. He said South Prosperity was working with communities through motivating small holder producers to realise their potential by taking initiatives that empower them economically.
“We are propagating industrial growth through stimulating local production and trade using fintech (financial technology). We support Government’s TSP and Vision 2030 and we desire to contribute to economic growth,” said Mr Maseva.
He said his organisation was capacitating communities to produce goods or services and implement development projects like schools and other social infrastructure development. The participants are then rewarded or paid with “SPURT”, a digital currency that members of Sound Prosperity can earn when they start working for the community.
“All over the country people earn SPURT by working for the communities. Any work is done, like cleaning the streets. Also, care-taking, farming, building schools and dams, additional incentives for public workers, anything to make life better,” said Mr Maseva.
“People can pay each other for the products they sell and the services they offer with SPURT, and businesses accepting SPURT will be able to receive SPURT crypto for the received SPURT.”
He said their organisation believes that increasing production and trade was the only way to get Zimbabwe out of the prevailing economic challenges.
Online Reporter