ZNCC honours top business leaders, emerging entrepreneurs

ESTABLISHED business leaders and a new generation of entrepreneurs took centre stage at the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) Manicaland Business Awards last Friday night, as the province celebrated both seasoned achievers and emerging trailblazers driving economic growth and innovation.
From lifetime achievers and veteran industry leaders to first-time award winners and rising entrepreneurs, the ceremony showcased the blend of experience, resilience and fresh ideas shaping Manicaland’s business landscape under the theme: “From Resilience to Competitiveness: Charting a New Path for Sustainable Industrial Growth.”
These awards celebrated organisations and individuals who have demonstrated excellence, innovation, resilience and leadership across a wide range of sectors, reflecting their significant contributions to business growth, education and entrepreneurship in Manicaland.
Manicaland’s leading academic bastion, First Class Group of Schools Director-General, Mr Stephen Gwinyai Mutsongodza was named businessperson of the year, while Mr Garikai Gwenzi was also honoured as the rural businessperson of the year.
Mrs Patience Puwai was named businesswoman of the year.
The late Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, Manicaland and Chiredzi regional manager, Ms Perpetua Guwila was posthumously awarded the prestigious silver jubilee dedication to service award.
This year’s awards were held under the theme: “From Resilience to Competitiveness: Charting a New Path for Sustainable Industrial Growth.”
Guest of honour, Mines and Mining Development Minister, Dr Polite Kambamura, said Government wants to create an enabling environment aimed at encouraging businesses to move beyond survival and focus on long-term growth and global competitiveness.
“Achieving sustainable industrial growth will require increased investment in key areas such as technology, skills development, and infrastructure and value addition across industries. Competitiveness is not achieved by chance. It is built through deliberate investment, operational efficiency, innovation, strong governance and a supportive policy environment.”
“Businesses must embrace technology and productivity improvements, while policymakers continue to lower the cost of doing business. We have made progress in strengthening dialogue between Government and the private sector, building strategic partnerships, and placing productivity at the centre of economic discussions. The challenge now is to translate those gains into globally competitive businesses capable of scaling, exporting and creating sustainable employment,” he said, adding that the business awards remain a critical platform for recognising excellence, celebrating success and encouraging enterprises to strive for higher standards of performance as well as providing an opportunity to inspire businesses, promote best practices and motivate enterprises across Manicaland Province to pursue sustained growth and innovation.
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, said: “Government is unequivocally committed to spearhead the growth of the SME sector and re-industrialising the manufacturing industry. We are relentlessly pursuing policies and programmes designed to dismantle barriers, enhance access to affordable finance, open up domestic and international markets, and foster the continuous skills development of our entrepreneurs. Therefore, I call upon all stakeholders, financial institutions, large corporates, development agencies, and community leaders to deepen your collaboration. Let us combine our resources, our expertise, and our will to scale up these successful initiatives. As Government, we see your efforts, we celebrate your successes, and under the Second Republic, we are committed to create an environment where your enterprises do, not just survive, but thrive,” he said.
Minister Mugadza added: “This year these awards come at a time when we are still mourning our departed ZNCC Manicaland and Chiredzi manager, Ms Pepetua Guwila who passed on last week Wednesday. But in our grief, I believe there is no better way to pay our last respects to her than what we are doing tonight. She served this chamber for over 20 years since starting as a public relations manager, and then later climbed up the ranks to become the provincial manager.”-herald