BULAWAYO Province is targeting a 50 percent business formalisation rate, building on its current 44 percent threshold, the highest in the country and double the national average of 22 percent as per Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) findings.
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretary, Mr Paul Nyoni, revealed this during a recent meeting with visiting United Nations Women Eastern and Southern Africa Deputy Regional Director, Mr Adama Moussa, who was leading a delegation assessing projects being implemented in the city.
Mr Nyoni said training programmes targeting informal traders have been instrumental in helping more players appreciate the benefits of formalising their operations.
“We have received a lot of training through partnerships, which is moving us from being just informal traders to formalised traders.
“Even our Zimbabwe Revenue Authority Regional Office is pleased with what we are doing because we have these incredible statistics.
“The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) statistics show that Bulawayo has 44 percent formal businesses against a national average of 22 percent, which gives us a sense of pride.
“We are aiming to reach 50 percent in the coming years,” said Mr Nyoni.
Once the country’s industrial hub, Bulawayo’s fortunes declined in the early 2000s following an economic downturn that saw the closure of many companies.
However, renewed focus on training and collaboration is now driving a steady shift from informality to formalisation.
Mr Nyoni attributed the progress to strong collaboration among key stakeholders in the city.
“We have a very consultative ecosystem where every last vendor belongs to some form of association.
“That association has access to the Town Clerk and his team, and the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution.
“The reality is that there is no way that one of those agencies can develop the city alone; we need to work together,” said Mr Nyoni.
Bulawayo director of town planning, Mr Wisdom Siziba, said the local authority was in the process of identifying and availing more properties to provide safe and dignified working spaces equipped with water and sewer services.
“These facilities will bring dignity to women, people with disabilities and all traders,” he said.
Mr Siziba praised the Government for enabling development partners such as UN Women to operate in the country, saying this had opened opportunities for players in the informal sector.
“We want to thank the Government in particular because they have made it possible for us to work with this partner.
“We also have to appreciate the Government and the partners for the Maker Space situated at OK Mart. That facility has created employment for a lot of people.”
Speaking after touring the Maker Space, Mr Moussa praised the work being done by female entrepreneurs in Bulawayo.
“It is a very good experience for me to come here and see what women in this centre are doing. What we are saying in terms of women’s economic empowerment is that if you invest in women’s capacities, they will be able to sustain economic households, community households and contribute to the national economy.
“Investing in women is not an expense, but it is a huge investment,” said Mr Moussa.
Meanwhile, the local authority has launched a corporate survey aimed at capturing insights on key gaps, challenges and emerging issues facing the city’s corporate and industrial sectors.
The survey forms part of preparations for the 2026 annual Bulawayo Economic Development Conference (Bedcon) and the City of Bulawayo Research and Innovation Seminar (Cobris).
The inaugural Bedcon, designed to address economic challenges facing local businesses and drive sustainable growth, was held in April last year.
In a statement, Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube said the exercise was critical to ensuring the two flagship platforms remain relevant to the city’s economic realities and development aspirations.
“The City of Bulawayo is inviting residents and stakeholders to participate in a corporate survey as it prepares to host the 2026 annual Bulawayo Economic Development Conference (Bedcon) and the City of Bulawayo Research and Innovation Seminar (COBRIS),” reads the statement.
According to the local authority, the survey is designed to capture first-hand perspectives from businesses, industry players, professionals, researchers and the broader community on Bulawayo’s operating environment.
“The corporate survey is aimed at gathering insights on key gaps, challenges and emerging issues currently faced by the corporate and industrial sectors in Bulawayo,” the statement said.
The city emphasised that the exercise goes beyond consultation and is a strategic research tool meant to ground BEDCON and COBRIS in evidence-based realities.
By identifying constraints, opportunities and innovation needs, the survey is expected to help shape practical, solution-driven discussions during the 2026 events.
Addressing data privacy concerns, the local authority assured stakeholders that strict ethical standards would be observed.
“The city assures residents and stakeholders that the data collected will be used for research purposes only,” the statement said.
Findings from the survey are expected to play a central role in shaping conference themes, pillars and focus areas, ensuring BEDCON and COBRIS remain relevant, responsive and solutions-oriented platforms for dialogue on investment, industrial revival, innovation and sustainable urban development.-herald
