ZNCC indabas for women entrepreneurs

The Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC), destined to witness accelerated business development in Zimbabwe, is scheduled to undertake a two-day training workshop for women entrepreneurs and a two-day workshop on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in various locations in Zimbabwe.

The two-day workshops, scheduled for September and October 2023, will be conducted in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Zimbabwe and will cover various topics of interest for women entrepreneurs and export-ready businesses.

The ZNCC Training School was established in December 2020 with the aim to empower the Zimbabwean business community through capacity-building and skills enhancement initiatives and business linkages.

This followed the realisation that most emerging entrepreneurs and the workforce lack basic skills in scaling up their businesses beyond SME status.

Such realities necessitated this welcome development and the Chamber, in partnership with developmental organisations such as UNDP Zimbabwe, will continue to undertake capacity-building initiatives for business development in Zimbabwe.

The Training School provides wide-ranging and highly practical training and development solutions geared to meet the demands and needs of the business community through strategic partnerships with various organisations.

The services are accessible to individuals, local companies, and international organisations. To add on, the Chamber has a Women’s Desk which focuses on women’s empowerment through initiatives such as the “Buy Women” Campaign, Women-Owned Brand, and Mentorship.

The objectives of the ZNCC Training School are: to build and strengthen the skills of business personnel in various sectors of the economy; to proffer solutions and provide knowledge about special considerations related to business systems; to nurture business ideas and start-up companies; to offer training in line with Industry 4.0; and to capacitate the business community to be able to compete at the international level when it comes to trade in both goods and services.

Women have traditionally been viewed as being a vulnerable and marginalised group in society. They have also been described as the weaker sex and sometimes as victims of circumstances. High unemployment levels and poor economic performance has made the situation of women in Zimbabwe more difficult.

On the other hand, improved literacy rates, and globalisation, among other things, have buoyed some entrepreneurial-inclined women to venture into formal business but society has not always given them the support or recognition they require to achieve their dreams.

This Training programme invites emerging women entrepreneurs to attend interactive physical two-day sessions designed to foster business and professional growth. Emerging businesswomen and already established will build their unique entrepreneurial skills through interactive exercises and powerful group discussions.

They will gain the skills they need to communicate, negotiate, and lead with confidence. The content which seeks to reduce business capability gaps will be delivered in conjunction with tertiary institutions in the selected areas.

The Training for Women Entrepreneurs will be conducted in four places across three provinces in Zimbabwe (Mashonaland West, Masvingo, and Matabeleland North) in the month of September 2023.

The dates and venues for the training are as follows: Chinhoyi (CUT Hotel, September 7 and 8); Masvingo (Urban Lifestyle, September 13 and 14); Chiredzi (Clever’s Hotel, September 14 and 15); and Victoria Falls (September 20 and 21).

The training will be capped off by the 10th Women in Enterprise Conference and Awards scheduled for September 29, 2023 in Harare. Women entrepreneurs in these areas are strongly urged to register with the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce as limited seats are available. The Training is free of charge.

The workshop on AfCFTA is targeting export-ready businesses. Zimbabwe is currently working towards the launch of the National AfCFTA Implementation Strategy before year-end.

For industry to be able to take full advantage of the trade pact there is a need to continuously build adequate capacity across all value chains. During the ZNCC 2023 Pre-National Budget Consultations, there was a realisation that the Rules of Origin are still a challenge for most exporters and importers to understand and adhere to.

The majority of businesspeople are unaware of the AfCFTA and how they can benefit from the opportunities presented within the free trade area. ZNCC has identified a knowledge gap among Zimbabwean businesses regarding the implications of the AfCFTA to their operations.

The AfCFTA workshop is targeting export-ready businesses in Bulawayo, Gweru, and Mutare. The workshops are scheduled as follows: Mutare (September 4 and 5); Bulawayo (October 3 and 4); and Gweru (October 5 and 6).

The actual venues will be provided in due course, and a regular check or following of the ZNCC social media pages is greatly encouraged.

The AfCFTA workshop seeks to promote a better understanding of the provisions, opportunities and challenges of the AfCFTA in the Zimbabwean context; enhance information dissemination on the progress made in the operationalisation and implementation of the AfCFTA in Zimbabwe and the continent at large; educate the business community on the benefits that accrue from actively participating in the AfCFTA; and get feedback from the business community on the issues and challenges they face from participating in the continental free trade area.

Interested participants in the mentioned cities are strongly urged to register in advance with the Chamber, free of charge, as limited seats are available.

In conclusion, the ZNCC Women’s Desk seeks to advance the growth of women-owned enterprises, and overall, the Zimbabwean private sector wants to see Zimbabwe’s success in intra-continental trade. Such Workshops are critical for additional technical support for businesses to strategise and refocus for enhanced competitiveness and market intelligence.

This article was prepared by the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) for Business Weekly.-ebusinessweekly