Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
SMALL and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Manicaland have been urged to venture into manufacturing and value addition to boost production, create employment and strengthen the provincial economy.
Speaking at a provincial interface meeting with SMEs in Mutare today, Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said entrepreneurs should exploit the province’s abundant natural resources to establish productive businesses.
She cited the Hauna Fruit and Vegetable Processing Plant in Mutasa District as an example of how local resources could be transformed into finished products while reducing post-harvest losses.
“Industrialisation requires MSMEs to become productive enterprises that manufacture, process and add value to our resources,” she said.
Minister Mutsvangwa said Government was facilitating access to appropriate technology, machinery, production equipment and workspace to support business growth.
She also highlighted the contribution of small-scale miners, saying the sector accounted for more than 65 percent of Zimbabwe’s gold output.
Meanwhile, ZANU PF Secretary for Economic Development and Empowerment Dr Sithembiso Nyoni said Manicaland had significant opportunities in timber processing, diamond beneficiation, agro-processing and tourism.
She urged local businesses to position themselves to participate in these value chains, adding that the province should maximise the economic benefits of its natural resources through local processing.
“We must reduce the export of raw materials where viable local processing can be developed,” she said.
