adminDPM Mutambara was speaking during the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce congress in Victoria Falls, which ends today.
The congress, which opened on Tuesday, is being held under the theme “The roadmap to Zimbabwe’s desired future: Identifying opportunities that deliver value”.
The DPM said there was need for the country to redefine models of competitiveness around technology, infrastructure, human capital, employability, productivity, regional integration and implementation, measurement and monitoring of strategies.
He also said industrial clustering, measurement of productivity growth, emotional intelligence that delivers outcomes, cultural intelligence and appreciation of diversity (including gender) were also critical factors for competitiveness in Zimbabwe.
Further, DPM Mutambara said that there was need for a complete paradigm shift in the approach to business from focusing on providing goods and services to make money to solving human needs, but making money at the same time.
“We need to redefine our competitiveness (because) things have changed. There is the issue of globalisation, there are matters around technology, there is now more emphasis on talent and human capital, so the traditional approach to competitiveness in the country will not work,” the Deputy Prime Minister told delegates.
The DPM said there was need to redefine the models of competitiveness saying competitiveness was about being able to deliver high quality goods and services at low cost.
He said while the country’s abundant mineral resources remain a source of competitiveness, there was need to look at other factors that enhance competitiveness.
For instance, he said developments in technology meant that, right now, in banking, Econet Wireless’ mobile money transfer service EcoCash (supported by TN Bank) would become the biggest bank in Zimbabwe because more people in the country have access to mobile phone services than brick and mortar banking facilities.
It is estimated that more than 80 percent of the country’s population has no access to traditional banking facilities, but more than eight million have mobile phones.
Online Reporter