Online Reporter
Sikhulekelani Moyo
Business Reporter
SMALL and medium enterprises (SMEs) have commended the improved availability of grid electricity, which has allowed flexible working hours, improving productivity and reducing business costs.
Previously, SMEs were forced to work between 10PM and 5AM, when state power utility Zesa would have restored national grid power supply.
This affected their productivity, with some losing clients due to the failure to meet deadlines for the delivery of orders.
The prolonged hours of load shedding have been affecting many businesses throughout the country, with large corporations forced to resort to the more expensive fuel generators, which have seen operating costs increase, reducing profits.
Speaking to some SMEs that operate from the Bulawayo SMEs centre, they said the situation had stabilised, which has seen them reducing idle time.
During the back-to-school period, SMEs that are in uniform production faced serious challenges due to power cuts, which saw some of them losing clients.
Ms Juliana Mujuru, a tailor at the Bulawayo SMEs Centre said the power stability should continue on its positive trajectory to promote growth within the SMEs sector.
She said they no longer had strong customer demand, hence the need to sustain the power supply stability so that when the demand improves they products they can deliver the products.
“We are experiencing stability in power supply these days, no prolonged power cuts anymore and we are happy about this as a sector,” said Ms Mujuru.
“We appeal to the power utility to continue with this, during back-to-school, things were not good, and we hope, this time, we are not going to face the same challenge.”
According to Zimbabwe Power Company power generation statistics released yesterday, Hwange Power Station produced 745 megawatts (MW), Kariba 485MW and independent power producers 74 MW, totalling 1 303MW.
Bulawayo Chamber of SMEs programmes coordinator, Mr Nketa Mangoye Dlamini, recently confirmed that the power situation had stabilised, with minimum or no power cuts.
“These days it’s better. Last week, we lost half a day with no electricity. This week so far so good,” said Mr Dlamini.
“We have realised the issue of electricity is now better, generally, we can get an interruption once a week, but yesterday we had an interruption at about 1615hrs, but this morning power was on,” said Mr Dlamini.
“The advantage is that when we have uninterrupted power and a secure supply, we are assured of production and meet schedules, because the danger is, when there is no power, you disappoint your customers.
“When we look at women who are in clothing, when we don’t have power, then there is no production.”
He said when there is a power interruption, SMEs tend to move their machines and materials to other places in town, where power cuts are minimal, which is time-consuming, costly, and also risks damaging their machinery.
Production experts say the constant availability of electricity allows SMEs to grow, due to reduced cost of doing business, improved productivity, and economies of scale, which improve their competitiveness.
Meanwhile, the Government continues to call upon individuals, organisations, and companies to invest in renewable energy, with solar systems gaining momentum.
This will reduce dependence on the national grid.
Zimbabwe has huge potential for renewable energy production.
Given their market-leading role in manufacturing and supplying renewable energy equipment, companies from China, previously key financiers of coal projects in Zimbabwe, are among the top actors driving the accelerated transition away from fossil fuels in the country.
