ZNCC, CBC SMEs Biznet B2B Platform Workshop was oversubscribed

By Tendai Chisiri

The just ended 3 day capacity bulding workshop in the capital for Small and  Medium Enterprises (SMEs) by Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) and COMESA  Business Council (CBC) had over 5 000 applications with only 90 considered revealed ZNCC chief executive officer Christopher Mugaga.

SMEs sector in Zimbabwe has grown tremendously over the years and now contributes more than US$8,6 billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as well as employing 4,8 million people on a full-time basis.

” The target market for the workshop was especially the SMEs. The Chamber of Commerce has a great number of them and there was an overwhelming response. Out of more than 5 000 applications, we only had to consider a maximum of 90 SMEs”, Mugaga said in an interview  on the sidelines of the workshop.

ZNC Cworking with CBC had the target to makesure that  they upscale the SMEs so that they enter the value chain, what is termed internationalisation of the SMEs. “What we want to achieve is to makesure that we create a business concept for a business case where SMEs will not just be looked down upon but will somehow enter the whole market fray and be part of the value chain”, ZNCC chief executive officer said.

Nsangwa Ngwira, market access expert COMESA secretariat said the capacity building workshop’s aim was to develop the SMEs.

” We are trying to ensure that as many SMEs as possible have access to wider markets. Our goal is to makesure that we look beyond our local markets. Secondly, we wanted to ensure we bring SMEs together so that we have business to business interactions. A number of SMEs were interacting, exchanging ideas and business cards. That was part of the design capacity bulding workshop. However, more importantly we wanted to empasize that there is a big market out there, there is demand for the products the SMEs are selling out there. We were showcasing Biznet B2B platform. This is a plaform that shows which commodities others have. It is a platform that shows who is trading what in which 21 member states of COMESA.

Ministry of Women Affairs business development officer, Esnath Mwandiyambira applauded the workshop.

“This Biznet B2B platform workshop am sure has been helpful to SMEs as they now have knowledge and skills on how to operate digitally as we are now living in a global market so they can reach more customers local, regional and international.”, she said in an interview on the sidelines of the event.

“From the workshop, am sure SMEs benefited a lot on how to market their products or services using the trade map and also using the AI tool. If they want to import or export their products or services to other countries, before going to that country, they can just visit the website of trade map and see which countries are in need of products from Zimbabwe and what type of products they can export or import. They can also see the prices of the products that can be sold in that country before leaving Zimbabwe”.

“They can so see the investment map which shows the investors. Those who wish to invest, potential buyers, market access conditions can be seen on the investment map. Other countries have different conditions. You see all the rules and regulations before you export or import items from those countires”, she added.

“This workshop has also given our SMEs practical skills as they were doing practicals on how to use the digital platforms. SMEs can now develop their businesses and promote partnerships with otjer countries within COMESA. I thank ZNCC and CBC for coming up with this business facilitation because it has helped SMEs to develop their business activities through market linkages among other businesses”, Mwandiyambira said.

David Neshita who is into stone and wood sculpturing and batik making commended the workshop. He is based in Malborough Harare and is depending on the domestic market. “The workshop was good, it was an eye opener because it helped us in terms of knowing the importance of working in groups attending workshops. These helps in finding new markets and also countries to export. We are now looking forward to export and here there are some markets that have been revealed in Egypt, Netherlands and even Zambia”, Neshita said in an interview.

Norea Gutu a farmer in Concession Mazowe bemoaned the difficult process of certification and pleaded with ZNCC to help farmers from being ripped off by middle men.

“Iam a full-time farmer doing tobacco, cereals, and horticulture. I export Manche Tout and Sugar Snap peas. Our biggest challenge as farmers is certification. The process of certification is very long and demanding in terms of capital invetement. The requirements for certification need more than 100 items”, said Gutu in an interview.

” The advantages of certification is that you access your own markets and you get all your revenue instead of sharing them with midde men. When you are not certified, you will have to give a middle man the produces and he gives you what he wants at the time he wants”, she added.

”Other requirements for certification is that you have to build coldrooms and to have refrigerated trucks for you to transport the produces from the farm to airport. There is high financial input that is needed for the process. To assist many farmers ZNCC can set up grading facilities and coldrooms for farmers and provide refrigerated trucks from the farms to the venue where the produces are packed. Middle men are ripping us because they pay between US$2 to US$2,65 per kilogram whilst at the final destination they pay between US$10 to US$13.