ZimSME Channel

22 March 2012, Unwomen.org “I used to sell fish under the trees, and carry fish on my head. I would wake up at 4am to walk a long distance to buy fish from the fishermen. Now I sleep and wake up normal hours, and have my tea before the Captain comes. I never thought I would have time to sleep, eat, work and rest like this!” So reveals Kuli Mungombe, one of ten women who are making history in Zimbabwe by owning and operating a fishing rig in the country. The women, from the Tonga ethnic group, formally entered the male-dominated industry last year after being provided with the rig, equipment and skills training. They have since been working to scale up the venture in Binga, one of the country’s least developed districts, so that it can sustain them and their families, as well as create opportunities for other women in the area. This is the first time since the 1950s that women from their ethnic group have been able to fish at all.  Although it was traditionally the Ton

ZIMBABWEAN business woman and managing director of Cargill Zimbabwe Priscilla Mutembwa has been awarded businesswoman of the year by the Global Chartered Institute of Management Accounts (CIMA) and the award for outstanding contribution to business performance by a CIMA member went to Sir Alec Reed OBE. Priscilla Mutembwa has been managing director of Cargill Cotton Zimbabwe since 2007. Her role involves control of the company’s commercial operation in Zimbabwe; co-ordination and management of the senior team; and liaison with local organisations including farmers, buyers and growers. She previously worked as the company’s finance director and regional origination and procurement manager. She holds a BSc degree in computer systems engineering, a CIMA qualification, an investment management certificate and an MBA. During her varied and highly successful career, which she talks about below, she has also worked for Coopers & Lybrand, British Railways, UNICEF, British American

Jun 03, 2012 By Praise Runyowa HARARE - The Government intends to soon open a bank that will exclusively provide loans and other financial services to small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs).  The initiative is part of efforts to empower the entrepreneurs, most of whom were failing to access loans at conventional banks owing to lack of collateral. In an interview last week, Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development Minister Sithembiso Nyoni said her finance counterpart, Tendai Biti, was already working on providing funds for the establishment of the financial institution. She said the project would ultimately leverage the sector and encourage joint work among beneficiaries. “The bank will enable those already in business as well as aspiring entrepreneurs to access capital,” she said. “They will become self-reliant; we want investors to come from within the country. We are hoping the bank will benefit them a great deal because they would have a be