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George Maponga–Masvingo Bureau

The Zimbabwe Chamber of SMEs plans to unveil a US$2 million electronic membership platform that will serve as a database with critical information as the sector moves to formalise and position itself as a vital cog in the nation’s drive to attain upper middle income economy status by 2030.

The unveiling of the electronic membership platform will be done in partnership with a local advisory company, Alinial Chartered Accountants Private Limited, with the game-changing development expected to engender increased capacity use among the small businesses.

Most of the estimated 4,5 million small businesses largely remain unregistered, making it difficult to increase capacity use in a sector that can hinge national economic growth through contributions to the national gross domestic product as the nation angles for upper middle income economy status.

The historic launch of the electronic membership platform that will also serve as a database for the country’s MSMEs sector also dovetails with President Mnangagwa’s mantra of “leaving no one and no place behind,’’ as the country moves to harness latest technologies to improve efficiency and the ease of doing business.

Zimbabwe Chamber of SMEs national secretary general Mr Venancio Kurauone said the impending launch of the MSMEs electronic membership database would mark a new milestone in the growth of the micro, small and medium enterprises in Zimbabwe as they seek to exploit growth opportunities created by the Second Republic.

“More than 200 high profile delegates will converge in Chiredzi for an inaugural Zimbabwe Chamber of SMEs strategic conference, which among other things, seeks to enhance collaboration between various stakeholders so that implementation of the MSMEs policy can be fast-tracked for the benefit of the national economy. 

“The landmark conference will also see the historic unveiling of a $1.7 million electronic membership platform as the Zimbabwe Chamber of SMEs moves to accelerate formalisation of the MSMEs sector,’’ said Mr Kurauone.

The new platform is not just an electronic membership platform but will double up as a live MSMEs database and is expected to capture key membership details for the estimated 4.5 million MSMEs in the country.

Mr Kurauone expressed optimism that the platform would enhance operations of MSMEs as they move to tap into and accrue benefits from various informed and focused policy interventions by the Government that have a bearing on the sector. He said organised data or information about MSMEs in Zimbabwe will be accessible at the click of a button — a development that will unlock many opportunities for the sector.

“Timely, organised information and data about MSMEs has been a serious challenge to this country. We could not tell with promptness who amongst our MSMEs was doing what and where, or what operational challenges they were facing. We would largely depend on expensive national surveys which due to various reasons, including the illegal economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, were not periodically done. Currently the latest statistics and or data about MSMEs was last updated in 2021,’’ Mr Kurauone said.

According to Mr Kurauone, his organisation,working together with its partner, Alinial Chartered Accountants, expect to have formalised not less than 5 million MSMEs by 2030. 

“This electronic membership platform we are going to launch in Chiredzi, will capture critical information and data about MSMEs that will make policy interventions by the Government, development agencies and private corporations an easy and focused task. Progress reviews to gauge alignment with key national agendas like Vision 2030 will also be made easier by this electronic platform.’’

The Zimbabwe Chamber of SMEs was also grateful to President Mnangagwa and his administration for creating a conducive environment for MSMEs to thrive.

“We have invited all stakeholders with a role to play in the formalisation of the MSMEs sector to come to Chiredzi and we would like to thank the Second Republic under President Dr ED Mnangagwa for the recognition and support that is being rendered in the quest to formalise the MSMEs sector. 

“The readiness by all the relevant ministries and Government departments to support the chamber’s initiatives is a clear testimony that the Second Republic is serious with its mantra of ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’. We strongly feel that as the MSMEs sector, we are indeed ‘the owners and drivers of this country’, and we will continue to tap into President Mnangagwa’s wisdom to grow this sector and help the nation quickly achieve Vision 2030 targets.’’

Mr Kurauone said his chamber was working round the clock to plug gaps that were identified in the last MSMEs survey of 2021.

Among key threats to the MSMEs formalisation agenda identified in that survey were lack of decent workspaces, social protection services, access to wider markets, business linkages and technical business training, among other problems.

It is envisaged that the Zimbabwe Chamber of SMEs strategic conference would culminate in the chamber being run as a corporate with institutional capacity to represent and develop MSMEs to operate as sustainable businesses and also come up with proper programmes and packages that would coax players in the sector to formalise.

Cabinet Ministers among them Minister of Women Affairs, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare July Moyo and representatives of stakeholders such as the Zimbabwe Builders Contractors Association and insurance companies, among others, are expected to attend the conference.