Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata-Herald Correspondent
GOVERNMENT has launched the National Skills Fair, an initiative designed to celebrate Zimbabwe’s homegrown talent, promote innovation, and strengthen the link between skills development and rural industrialisation.
The programme, spearheaded by the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development, will run from this month to December this year, touring Manicaland, Mashonaland East, and Masvingo provinces.
It will bring together youth, artisans, training institutions, and industry players to showcase practical, home-grown solutions to local development challenges.
In a statement, the ministry said the National Skills Fair marked a step towards recognising and valuing Zimbabwe’s diverse pool of talent, particularly from the informal sector.
“The Skills Fair represents a paradigm shift in how the nation recognises and values talent, demonstrating that skills and talent are not confined to educational institutions alone,” reads the statement. “Every Zimbabwean possessing practical skills, whether formally trained or not, has a contribution to make to the nation’s development.”
The initiative aims to mobilise communities, foster entrepreneurship, and build stronger linkages between technical training and economic empowerment.
Participants will have opportunities to network with investors, microfinance institutions, and business mentors, while informal sector practitioners will be offered recognition pathways for their skills.
The first leg of the Skills Fair will take place in Manicaland Province, with events scheduled for Chipinge (October 21), Chimanimani (October 24), Nyanga (October 28), and Mutasa (October 31). The programme will then move to Mashonaland East, covering Mudzi, Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe, Goromonzi, and Chikomba, before concluding in Masvingo Province with activities in Mwenezi, Chivi, Bikita, and Gutu.
Inclusivity will be a central focus, ensuring active participation from women, youth, and marginalised communities, said the ministry.
The launch comes at a time when Zimbabwe’s informal economy contributes over 60 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs the majority of the workforce — yet much of the talent in this sector remains unrecognised.
“Research shows that many of Zimbabwe’s most innovative solutions to local challenges come from artisans, small-scale entrepreneurs, and community-based innovators who may not have completed formal education but possess valuable practical skills and indigenous knowledge,” reads the statement. The National Skills Fair will run until December, with plans to extend it to other provinces next year. It forms part of Government’s broader efforts to promote inclusive growth and unlock the economic potential of skilled Zimbabweans across all sectors.
Peter Tanyanyiwa