Online Reporter
Business Reporter
Zimbabwe Newspapers (1980) Limited is set to host a major business conference on April 30, 2026, bringing together industry leaders to tackle what organisers describe as the country’s “missing middle” — the gap between survivalist entrepreneurs and formal, job-creating institutions.
The “Beyond the Individual: From an Economy of Entrepreneurs to an Economy of Institutions” conference will take place at Cresta Lodge’s Sango Conference Centre in Harare, from 8am to 1pm.
Mr Shingai Mutasa, Group chief executive officer and founder of the Masawara — which owns Zimnat, Cresta Hotels, Joina City and Sable Chemicals among other entities — will deliver the keynote address.
Other speakers include Mr Bothwell Nyajeka, chairman of ACR Solutions, Mr Farai Mutambanengwe, chief executive officer of the Small and Medium Enterprises Association of Zimbabwe (SMEAZ), and Ms Nyasha P Mapolisa, a business consultant, board advisor and executive coach.
Mr Kudzanai Sharara, the head of the Business and Events Hub at Zimpapers, said the conference was born out of a pressing national concern.
“Zimbabwe does not have a shortage of entrepreneurs — the streets, markets and borders are full of them. What we have is a shortage of employers,” he said.
Mr Sharara explained that the economy is characterised by millions of necessity-driven micro-enterprises but a conspicuous absence of formal, scalable institutions that can employ hundreds or thousands of people.
“Healthy economies have both. When most people must become entrepreneurs just to survive, large-scale, formal job creation vanishes. This conference is designed to tackle that transition head-on,” he added.
With the Government’s 24-hour economy policy, Zimbabwe’s hosting of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) in 2029, and deeper African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) integration on the horizon, Mr Sharara said the opportunity to scale had never been greater.
“Seizing that opportunity requires a deliberate transition from survivalist entrepreneurship to institutional building. That is precisely what this conference aims to achieve,” he said.
The event will focus on four key pillars: the scale-up story of successful local entrepreneurs, the capital challenge facing growth-oriented businesses, the people problem of transitioning from founder to CEO, and the enabling environment of policy and regulatory reforms.
The target audience includes founders of growth-oriented small to medium enterprises, business associations such as the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC), Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), SMEAZ and EMCOZ, financiers, government regulators, academia and development partners.
The investment fee for the conference is US$65, with an early bird fee of US$55 available for those who pay by April 24.
For sponsorship opportunities and attendance inquiries, contact Kim on 077 361 8782, or Hilda on 0772 926 835
