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Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
ZIMBABWE’s economy depends upon the youths as they are the vital productive and entrepreneurial cog through which the African Continental Free Trade Area can be implemented successfully, the National Youth Business Expo heard .
Speaking at the expo held at ZITF in Bulawayo last week, Minister of Industry and Commerce Dr Sekai Nzenza said the expo was setting a stage for youths’ participation and contribution to the collective endeavour of attaining President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030’s goal of an upper middle-income economy.
The expo is running under the theme: “Revitalising and Empowering Youth Businesses Across Value Chains.”
Minister Nzenza said economic space was being created for the youth to exploit, in particular within the value chains.
“This resonates with His Excellency’s mantra to ensure no one is left behind, whilst we also broaden our industrial space to embrace all age groups,” she said.
“The demographics of our nation make it a very youthful one, hence, creation of platforms like these that focus on the empowerment of youths ensures that we get to understand the youths’ desires and therefore formulate policies and incentives that make our nation benefit from this rare and inherent demographic dividend.
“The holding of this event goes a long way in nurturing entrepreneurship, creating synergistic relationships and platforms through which established entrepreneurs get to engage and inspire our youths in entrepreneurship, thereby fostering an integrated community of youth in entrepreneurship.
“The end result of this is Zimbabwe’s enhanced capacity to harness the potential dividends of this very strategic target group, that is ordinarily being overshadowed by big corporates in events such as ZITF.”
Minister Nzenza said empirical evidence showed that developed countries owe their development and growth to young entrepreneurs who invested their effort towards solving challenges that were inherent in their economies.
Zimbabweans needed to benefit in the same way by supporting youths hence the call for the continuation of partnerships between the African Development Bank, the private sector and non-governmental organisations in pursuit of fostering entrepreneurial skills to youths.
The partnerships would allow for the economy to sustainably achieve economic growth and development.
She said the event came when the nation was rolling out the local content strategy which sought to promote use, production and beneficiation of local produce in all sectors of the economy.
“As such, the youth being the vital cog in our nation’s development, need to take advantage of this policy and come up with new products and new ways of value adding our nation’s rich natural resource endowments, for greater export revenues or reduced import bill.
“All the measures mentioned above are all aimed at promoting employment for the youth through entrepreneurship.
“This way, Government is directing its efforts in ensuring that youths are not just employment seekers but also employment creators.
“As such, our belief is supporting youth entrepreneurship in enhancing the economy’s employment capacity,” Minister Nzenza said.
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