Online Reporter
Blessings Chidakwa in Moscow, Russia
FIRST Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa is leading a Zimbabwe Legacy Empowerment delegation of women entrepreneurs from all 10 provinces on a business mission here, opening new frontiers for local women to access international markets, investment, technology and partnerships.
The women, drawn from all walks of life, said the mission was helping them unlock low-hanging fruits in their respective sectors, with companies they met expressing interest in working with them and opening avenues for investment, business partnerships and technology transfer, with modalities now being worked on.
The engagements are among the first of their kind in which Zimbabwean women entrepreneurs have been warmly received by major private-sector companies and institutions abroad, creating opportunities to market Zimbabwe, attract investment and forge practical business links.
The delegation brings together women operating in mining, agriculture, tourism and hospitality, construction, manufacturing, and small and medium-sized enterprises, among other sectors.
Since arriving in Moscow, the entrepreneurs have visited some of Russia’s major companies, including ALROSA, a global diamond producer; PhosAgro, a leading Russian fertiliser company; Skolkovo Technologies; Geoscan; and technology firm NextTouch.
The engagements are providing first-hand exposure to advanced production systems, innovative technologies and business models, while creating opportunities for partnerships, investment and the exchange of expertise.
For an entrepreneur seeking to grow, an international partnership could mean access to machinery, capital or new markets.
In the construction sector, women involved in road rehabilitation explored opportunities to strengthen their businesses, including improving access to equipment and machinery.
Those in mining similarly looked at ways of expanding their operations through increased access to machinery and technology.
For a woman running a small enterprise in a rural community, including crafting and weaving, a production method learnt in Moscow could translate into increased output and higher incomes.
In tourism, women are using agrotourism, gastronomy, culture and heritage to market Zimbabwe internationally and attract visitors, with some Russian participants already expressing interest in visiting the country and others confirming plans to travel next month to see the iconic Victoria Falls.
For a farmer, exposure to modern technology could improve productivity and open new opportunities along the agricultural value chain. In agriculture, women are currently using Agric4She to build resilience against climate change, increase production and mitigate poverty.
Dr Mnangagwa, who is the patron of Zimbabwe Legacy Empowerment, emphasised that the mission should go beyond exposure and result in lasting opportunities that benefit women, families and communities back home.
The delegation also engaged with the Russian Minister of Energy and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Tatyana Alexandrovna Ilyushnikova, who is responsible for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
She shared Russia’s journey in entrepreneurship and the development of creative industries, which she said had become a cornerstone of the country’s economy.
“We had an amazing meeting with representatives of the women’s business community from Zimbabwe, and for us, it is a great honour to engage with these women.
“We are very pleased to have had this meeting and presented a number of projects. One of them is ‘Mum Interpreter’, whose main message is that women should believe in themselves. This is very important for all women around the world,” she said.
The Deputy Minister said women were capable of achieving anything, but should focus on quality and creativity in everything they do, as these help to increase the value of their products.
Agrobit LLC General Director Dmitry Alexandrovich Vinnikov said there were many opportunities for cooperation, particularly in the poultry sector, where the company specialises in agricultural robotics.
“There are many opportunities for cooperation because our main specialisation is poultry farming robotics. Poultry is a big and important industry in Zimbabwe, and we see great potential for cooperation to make the country’s poultry industry more modern and efficient, while reducing biosecurity risks and other challenges.
“Our equipment helps automate technological processes, reducing injuries to birds and the need for manual labour. This also helps minimise biosecurity risks and improve the productivity of poultry farms.”
Agrobit is a leading Russian firm implementing advanced Industry 4.0 technologies in agriculture, specialising in autonomous wheeled robots, veterinary and zootechnical devices, machine vision, neural networks and tensometry.
The company develops its own software and hardware solutions and manages the full product cycle, from development to serial production, having created five innovative import-substitution products in five years.
Ru Cosmo LLC director Alexander Karimov said the company was optimistic about finding a distributor in Zimbabwe through its partnership with Zimbabwe Legacy Empowerment.
“We now think that we have found one, and we are looking forward to expanding the sales of our products worldwide. There is a huge opportunity in the cosmetics sector, particularly in areas connected with cosmetologists and doctors.
“So, it is not just standard products for everyday use, but also specialised products with medical applications, which we see as having potential for distribution across the African region.”
In the tourism sector, Russian tourist Ekaterina Zhukovskaia, who has just visited Zimbabwe, described her experience as “amazing and breathtaking”, saying the warm welcome at the airport immediately immersed her in the country’s rich cultural experience.
“Well, it was amazing, breathtaking. First of all, I was amazed by the greetings at the airport. When we got off the aircraft, a group of people started dancing in their traditional outfits.
“It felt like I was going deep into the cultural experience of the country from the very first step,” she said.
Zhukovskaia also praised Zimbabweans for their warmth and hospitality.
“What I would also like to highlight is how supportive the local people were. They were always trying to help us because I was travelling with my mother and friends who do not speak English at all.
“I was the only English speaker in the group, and everyone around us tried to help, even using sign language. In that country, I felt that everything was powered by love, love for nature.
“I was really amazed by how you live together with animals and nature, how harmoniously you live with them as neighbours. I must say that I definitely left a part of my heart there.”
Zhukovskaia also expressed her appreciation for Zimbabwe’s colourful traditional attire, saying it reflected the passion, love and inner light of its people.
“I must say that I really like the style of how you dress in Zimbabwe, all these colourful dresses and colourful outfits.
“For me, it is like you are showing your passion, you are showing your love and the very bright light that you have inside of you. I think people without light cannot wear such kind of dresses. You cannot hide it. So, honestly, I fell in love with this country.”
After a Zimbabwean woman showcased her mouth-watering agrotourism products, General Director of ANO “Power of Development” Olga Alekseevna Shkabarnya said she was impressed by the many initiatives taking place in Zimbabwe to support women and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), expressing interest in visiting the country.
“The cultural exchange is the key. It will be really important because we need to see and really understand how all this happens in reality, to see how the women are working. It’s really great that the First Lady of your country supports women’s empowerment. It’s super good,” said Ms Shkabarnya.
“It will be a really good opportunity to check exactly how we can collaborate and organise different activities such as festivals, conferences or workshops on cultural exchange, as well as sharing experiences on how it is possible to attract women to work in sustainable enterprises and build these incredible projects which we have here.”
Ms Shkabarnya said they were keen to share their cultural traditions and experiences, noting that Russia hosts various international events, including the International Festival of Youth.
She said big businesses should always organise activities to support local communities and preserve local culture in the regions where they operate.
The Zimbabwe Legacy Empowerment initiative grew from the First Lady’s usual apolitical approach to her programmes, something she has always practised, having started as women’s business luncheons and dinners that brought together aspiring and established businesswomen from across the country.
The gatherings created platforms for women to network, share experiences, receive mentorship and explore ways of working together. That platform has since evolved into a structured savings initiative promoting entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable development.
The Moscow mission has taken that engagement beyond Zimbabwe’s borders, allowing the women entrepreneurs to interact directly with international companies and identify areas for cooperation.
For the participants, the exposure is broadening their understanding of international business while giving them practical knowledge that can be applied to their enterprises at home.
The Russian invitation comes against the backdrop of sustained efforts by Dr Mnangagwa to create platforms through which Zimbabwean women can access opportunities beyond the country’s borders.
Zimbabwean women entrepreneurs have previously been exposed to international opportunities in countries such as Belarus, strengthening networks and creating avenues for knowledge-sharing and business cooperation.
At home, Zimbabwe Legacy Empowerment complements other initiatives championed by the First Lady to increase women’s participation in the productive economy.
These include Agric4She, Agrotourism4She and Solar4She, which provide women with practical tools and opportunities to build sustainable livelihoods.
Through such initiatives, women are being encouraged to move beyond beneficiaries of empowerment programmes and become entrepreneurs, employers and contributors to national development.
The Moscow mission marks another step in that journey, linking Zimbabwean women to international business networks while creating opportunities to market the country, attract investment, increase tourism and promote technology transfer.
The ultimate measure of the mission will be what happens after Moscow- is it stronger businesses, new investments, more jobs, technology transfer, increased tourism and improved livelihoods for women and their communities in Zimbabwe?
