Online Reporter
Judith Phiri, Zimpapers Business Hub
BULAWAYO businessman, Mr Hafiz Muhammad Naeem of Evergold was the toast of the evening on Friday when he scooped the Overall Winner and Businessman of the Year award at the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) 2025 Matabeleland Annual Business Awards (MABAs).
In 2024, at the same regional awards ceremony, Mr Naeem scooped the Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
This year, the awards held in Bulawayo at a local hotel ran under the theme: “Unlocking Business Potential through Policy, Partnerships, and Productivity.”
More than 42 companies and 18 businesspeople from the Matabeleland region scooped prizes for their outstanding contributions to the growth and development of the economy in 2024.
There were prizes for the 20 different categories and winners walked away with certificates and shields.
Mr Naeem’s win signalled a triumphant period for the businessman from Evergold, an agricultural-based food processing and manufacturing company in Zimbabwe, operating under the name Flynote Investments Private Limited and founded in 2013 in Bulawayo.
The company is dedicated to producing a diverse range of award-winning, high-quality products, including roller meal, flour, rice, biscuits, sugar, animal feed and maize grits.
Speaking after receiving the awards, Mr Naeem could not hold back his excitement, stating that through their state-of-the-art facilities and versatile production capabilities, the company has been able to meet the growing needs of their customers and has earned recognition as a leading brand in the industry.
“I am extremely happy about the products that we produce and we believe that eating well begins with choosing organic food. I would like to thank ZNCC for the recognition as this is a testament to the hard work that we have put in as a company and also grateful to the Evergold team,” he said.
The Businesswoman of the Year award went to Ms Bertha Mutowe of Zebra Hilltop Lodge in Beitbridge.
“Firstly, I would like to thank God, the Almighty who has made it possible and I would also want to thank ZNCC for recognising me as Zebra Hilltop Lodge,” she said after receiving her award.
“I would also like to thank the ‘Zebra’ who is my husband, the man behind me and has made it possible because of his support. Without his support, I would not be here. I thank my beautiful children for their support. I have missed a lot of school activities to run a thriving business. I appreciate the team that l also work with for their teamwork and efforts.”
Ingwebu, Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway (BBR) and the National Railways of Zimbabwe were each awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards, while Meiton Banda of Fawcett scooped Manager of the Year award.
Slice Pizzeria walked away with the MSME of the Year award, while Simbarashe Mugabe of FMG Wholesale was awarded the Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
Tendai Chiwe of Rome Holdings scooped the Rural Businessperson of the Year award and Dzingai Chirume of DC Five Star Company was named Entrepreneur of the Year.
Other accolades included: Innovation Award- The Organic Biochemist; Best Customer Service Centered Organisation-Department of Immigration of Zimbabwe; Best Financial Institution Supporting SMEs- ZB Holdings; Public Enterprise of the Year — City of Bulawayo; Tertiary Institution of the Year- Lupane State University.
SDG of the Year- Injanji Investments; Best Emerging Company of the Year-Harris Lodges; Exporter Mining- Dinson Colliery; Exporter, Consumptive Tourisim-Lodzi Hunters; Exporter Non-Consumptive Tourism — Victoria Falls Hotel; Exporter Manufacturing-Treger Products/Kango; Exporter Agriculture — Nottingham Estates.
