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Theresa Mhazo Business Reporter

The intensive capacity building programme that ZimTrade conducted recently, under the NextSheExporter initiative, will help integrate women-led businesses into the mainstream export business, a senior executive said.

 The intensive capacity building programme, which is aligned with the current Government’s drive of an all-embracing national economy, targets to have more women-led SMEs exporting. The training is designed to solve challenges that cause women to be fewer in businesses.

In an interview, ZimTrade chief executive Allan Mujuru said,“Once women-led SMEs are exporting and earning foreign currency, their livelihoods will be improved, which will impact the whole community.”

He said the NextSheExporter is looking at improving production efficiencies for businesses that are into manufacturing.

“There are also issues to do with marketing and branding training, where the target is to ensure that we strategically position products and services produced by local women-led businesses into regional and international markets.

“Women participating in the programme will also receive branding and labelling skills and this is a key component of the export business,” he added.  

Participants at the programme are into the production of non-traditional products whose raw materials are found in abundance in Zimbabwe.

Some of the women are making wine out of tsubvu/umtshwankela while some are making sauces from mauyu and ready to eat snacks from ginger.

“These are unique products that will find a niche market in international markets. What we need to do going forward is to capacitate them so that they have enough production muscle to satisfy orders,” Majuru said.

He believes adding value to these natural raw materials will see the products compete well in export markets.

“We have a lot of raw materials in Africa which go to waste, so we add value to the products” said one of the participants Ms Neanica Onema in an interview.

Ms Onema is into ginger value adding. Another participant, Ms Nelisiwe Karara who is also into value addition said she hopes to be involved in exports “big time”.

She has already received enquiries from the UK and South Africa on her natural wines made out of tsubvu, hatya, guavas, masawu and others.  

Ms Chipo Chikomo, who was also a participant at the same event said the programme provides a good networking platform “as women from different lines of business are meeting and sharing ideas.” She added that through exporting, they will be able to obtain foreign currency which will impact their businesses.