Online Reporter
Judith Phiri, [email protected]
THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has set up an office specifically dedicated to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which are crucial as they serve as the backbone of the economy, driving local employment, innovation and poverty reduction.
MSMEs are the backbone of Zimbabwe’s economy, with approximately 3.4 million entities contributing over 60 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employing roughly 4,8 million people full-time.
In a speech read on his behalf by Councillor Ntombizodwa Khumalo, at the 2026 MSMEs Winter Expo and Provincial Launch of International MSMEs Day on Friday at the Small City Hall, Bulawayo Mayor
David Coltart said integrating MSMEs into the main levers of the economy was critical.
“The City of Bulawayo values the economic contribution that MSMEs make to the development of Bulawayo. It is encouraging that our players in the informal sector have scaled up their operations and are producing goods of high quality that can match any industry.
“The International Labour Organisation (ILO) statistics show that 90 percent of global economies are sustained by MSMEs. In this country, MSMEs make up almost 80 percent of the economic sector. This means that liqakathekile (you are important) as a sector in the country,” he said.
“As the City of Bulawayo, we also see your strategic importance, hence our decision to set up an office specifically dedicated to addressing the MSME sector under the Town Planning Department.”
He said the growth of the MSMEs sector was not occurring accidentally, but had been driven by the resilience of people who, upon experiencing economic challenges when some industries shut down,
picked themselves up and transformed their skills into business opportunities.
The Mayor said as they commemorate the joint events, they recognise that the MSME sector is not just a Bulawayo or Zimbabwean phenomenon, but a global one, contributing to the success of many economies.
“We want to mainstream the biggest economic sector in the world into our operations. We are finalising the construction of the Dugmore MSMEs Centre, which will be a one-stop shop for MSMEs in Bulawayo to receive all their services under one roof,” he said.
“Also, the Nkulumane traders market will come on board soon. While global statistics present a positive outlook on the impact of MSMEs on most economies, sadly, in Bulawayo, we are not seeing the positive effects of the sector.”
He said rather, it had become one of the most challenging sectors for the city.
Clr Coltart said just on Wednesday, the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for
Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Judith Ncube, along with members of the Joint Operations Command (JOC), joined him to assess the impact of illegal activities carried out by informal traders.
“Our informal trading needs to be more organised so that we can be respected as a sector. In most instances, the city is at a crossroads with informal traders, mostly those who do not want to be part of the mainstream sub-economic sectors. The city is having running battles with illegal vendors who want to operate on the streets, affecting some of the formal business operators, some of whom are also in the MSME sector,” he said.
“As we commemorate the International Day of MSMEs under the theme, ‘Empowering Bulawayo MSMEs for Innovation, Jobs, Resilience and Sustainable Growth in line with Vision 2030 and Global
Trends,’ I am challenging all of us to take the necessary steps to modernise the MSME sector so that it is aligned with national development goals while tapping into global trends.”
He acknowledged Bulawayo MSMEs’ potential and said they want to tap into it as they develop
Bulawayo, calling on them to work together.
The Bulawayo MSMEs Winter Expo 2026 is organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community,
Small and Medium Enterprises Development in partnership with the City of Bulawayo and other stakeholders.
International MSMEs Day is observed annually on 27 June to recognise the massive contributions of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to the global economy.
