onlinemedia
Oliver Kazunga
Senior Business Reporter
THE much-anticipated Ladies’ Sundowner Picnic, initially scheduled for this Saturday in Avondale, Harare, has been rescheduled to September 27, 2025, to allow for heightened stakeholder engagement and ensure a stronger and more impactful experience.
Organised by Zimpapers through its flagship brands, The Herald and Star FM, the event seeks to bring together a diverse group of women entrepreneurs — from seasoned business magnates to emerging start-ups — under one banner of shared experience, growth, and unity.
Zimpapers public relations and events manager Mrs Pauline Matanda said the resolution to shift the date for the ladies’ picnic follows a strategic review.
“We’re committed to creating a meaningful and high-quality experience, therefore, we have reviewed the date for the ladies’ picnic to September 27 from the initially planned August 30, 2025. This would allow us to accommodate all critical stakeholders and fortify the value of the event,” she said.
In a separate interview, The Herald Editor, Victoria Ruzvidzo, said the forthcoming event is a giant step towards Zimpapers’ efforts in contributing to connecting and empowering women in business, bringing them together.
“As a media organisation, our role in nation-building encompasses fostering collaboration over competition among women.
“Through events such as the Ladies’ Sundowner Picnic, we are creating a platform where women can show up as they are, develop meaningful connections, and walk away with new contacts, ideas, and renewed purpose,” she said.
The upcoming event is expected to include moments of storytelling, with invited guests sharing raw, real experiences about their entrepreneurial journeys — the bad, the good and the unforgettable.
“Events like the Ladies’ Sundowner Picnic offer more than networking — they are statements of intent.
“They reflect that a Zimbabwean woman is not just waiting for spaces to be made for her — but she is creating those spaces for herself, with purpose and elegance.”
Meanwhile, the event is coming at a time when women-led businesses are on the rise in Zimbabwe with the Government promulgating policies that support women empowerment.
For example, through institutions such as the Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank (ZWMB), established in 2018 with a mandate to provide women with affordable and innovative financial solutions, last year increased loan disbursements to ZiG205,5 million reflecting a 759 percent spike from ZiG23,9 million in 2023.
The bank’s chief executive Dr Mandas Marikanda has attributed both the number of beneficiaries and loans to improved appetite for economic empowerment initiatives.
“The 4 083 loans disbursed in 2024 benefited 4 135 clients split as 3 498 being females and 637 males,”” said Dr Marikanda.
“The increase in the number of beneficiaries accessing loans from the bank can be attributed to collaborations and partnerships with Non-Governmental Organisations and various Government ministries.
“This resulted in both new products and market development,” she said in a recent interview with this publication.”
The bank also funded Small-to-Medium Enterprises in manufacturing, mining, trade and services.
Against this background, a total of 5 773 jobs were created and sustained as a result of the loans disbursed in 2024.
For attendance and exhibitions, call Fatima on 0717 687316 or Kimberly on 0773618782.
Online Reporter