Chronicle Editor
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
MORE than 80 businesswomen from the country’s 10 provinces are set to benefit from the 2nd edition of ZimTrade’s women exporter empowerment programme that seeks to increase the number of females who are into the export business.
The programme — Next She Exporter was launched in April last year and the first edition was completed in March this year where 100 women were equipped with export knowledge and links.
The 2023-24 edition of the programme kicked off in Bulawayo on Wednesday and ended on Friday.
In an interview, ZimTrade client advisor, Ms Nozipho Maphala said the goal was to develop female-owned enterprises to be export ready as well as facilitate for participation in promotional activities that would showcase Zimbabwean products and services.
“The key objective of the programme is to empower women-led enterprises with information, knowledge and skills that can assist them to develop their enterprises to the next level.
“The programme entails branding competitiveness training, technical interventions, mentorship, exchange programmes and a series of progress reviews,” said Ms Maphala.
She said the three-day training programme covered foundations to export marketing and how to analyse opportunities in export markets.
Ms Maphala said the importance of carrying out competitive intelligence and developing a suitable value proposition was underscored in the training and business owners participated in practical lessons of how to network for business growth.
“The first group of the Next She Exporter programme produced new exporters in horticulture, pesticides manufacturing, fast-moving consumer goods and processed foods manufacturing who have since penetrated regional and international markets.
“The programme also managed to send participants on various export promotion programmes that enabled them to link with buyers and saw them obtain export orders which they have begun successfully fulfilling,” she added.
“A total of 80 women from all the country’s 10 provinces are set to benefit from the trainings and mentorships under the Next She Exporter programme this year.”
In the first edition, over 100 female entrepreneurs were capacitated with export knowledge and skills across the country and exceptional participants were for the high-quality outcomes exhibited reflecting the effectiveness of the programme.
Mrs Choice Rusike was crowned the Next She Exporter of the Year and her company Jadesave Investments produces chemicals for the construction industry while Mrs Nelisiwe Karara of Ekhaya Natural Products won the Best Value Addition for her product range that includes wines produced from indigenous ingredients such as tsubvu/umtshwankela and marula.
Ms Zororo Taruvinga the proprietor of Zororo neMugoti was awarded the Most Innovative Business award as she manufactures snacks from millet, sorghum or rapoko, sweet potatoes, gogoya chips and masawu sauce.
Environment Impact award went to Ms Lucy Murengami, Social Impact Award went to Ms Chipo Chikomo while Ms Samukele Phiri of Hesta marketing won the award for Marketing and Brand Strategy.
Of the 4,4 million full-time employees in the micro, small to medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector in the country, women constitute the majority at 52,1 percent.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Dr Sithembiso Nyoni is on recording stating that this position dovetails with the Government’s thrust of delivering broad based transformation, new wealth creation and expanding horizons of economic opportunities for all Zimbabweans in line with the mantra of President Mnangagwa of “leaving no one and no place behind”.
Online Reporter