Let’s keep entrepreneurship spirit burning

THE turn of the century was not good for Zimbabwe as the country was slapped with targeted sanctions by the West, and coupled with corruption and mismanagement, it led to the closure of many companies. Despite going for nearly two decades with no meaningful capital investments, the country faced numerous challenges which further impoverished ordinary citizen.

The above scenario gave way to the spirit of entrepreneurship, which saw the establishment of self jobs, with the owners employing one or two people. In cities, towns and growth points, we now have a new crop of businesspeople.

Finance minister Mthuli Ncube showed his support for the smallto-medium enterprises (SMEs) as a basis for future large companies and hubs for employment creation.

It is an open secret that SMEs contribute over 50% of gross domestic product (GDP) and employs about 60% of the population. This shows that SMEs are equally important in the country’s economic revival strategy.

Soon after independence, the Education ministry promoted the learning of practical subjects, even at primary schools. Those were the years when focus was on “education with production”.

The country’s economy is anchored on agriculture, therefore, those who are into farming at a low-scale need financial and material support to boost their production levels.

Tambudzai