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Sikhulekelani Moyo, Business Reporter
ZIMBABWE is expected to host the Southern Regional Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (Saccos) forum to be held in the resort town of Victoria Falls next month.
The programme is scheduled to run from 15 to 18 March.
The Saccos model is one of the critical approaches used in unlocking the potential of small to medium enterprises.
It involves pooling of resources by a group of people with common interest such as cooperatives, workers’ unions or community groups, with the objective of making savings towards financing business projects on soft loan terms among members.
The funding is owned by the members and exists solely to serve their needs.
The concept has become popular in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in Africa as it proves to be useful in generating sustainable funding for small businesses and transforming livelihoods.
Acting director responsible for SMEs and cooperatives development registrar services, Mr Tabani Shoko, said the event is being organized by the African Confederation of Cooperatives Savings and Credit Associations (ACCOSCA).
“Zimbabwe has been nominated to host the Saccos Southern African Regional Bloc Forum scheduled for 15-18 March 2023 in Victoria Falls Rainbow Hotel,” said Mr Shoko in a notice to stakeholders.
“The forum is designed to have two days of technical workshops on 16-17 March and a full-day conference on the 18th of March.
“Key Saccos leaders from the regional and international fraternity have been confirmed as speakers for the event.”
ACCOSCA is a non-governmental organisation based in Kenya and its main business is to develop cooperative movement by promoting a cooperative business model, which gives possible solutions to poverty among people living in Africa.
“ACCOSCA organises the annual regional forums with the aim of integrating regional cooperation to accelerate development and growth of the cooperative movement through contextualised knowledge transfer and sharing,” said Mr Shoko.
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