The Sunday News
Charity Chikara, Business Reporter
Lack of knowledge and exposure is depriving small and medium enterprises of the opportunity to benefit from the wholesale sector, although it has many opportunities, a Cabinet minister has said.
Speaking during a Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Zimbabwe International Trade Fair workshop in Bulawayo last week, the Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Dr Sithembiso Nyoni said there was need for small business to explore the sector.
The event was held under the theme ‘Promoting Women, Communities, SMEs and Cooperatives to participate in Value Chains for Economic Development’.
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“The Government, wholesale and retail sectors provide a huge market potential for SMEs products and services in Zimbabwe, which forms the spring board for export potential for the sector through improved product quality and improved competitiveness of the sector.
However, missing or incomplete information holds back SMEs to fully benefit from these opportunities.
“Government, through its line ministries and agencies, provides a huge market opportunity for various SMEs products and services.
However, the majority of SMEs are unable to tap into the capacity of SMEs and impact information on how they can actively participate in public procurement,” she said.
Speaking at the same event, N Richards Zimbabwe, Northern region director Mr Artchford Dongo said the market was open and readily available for SMEs ready to grab opportunities in the retail sector.
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“There are market leaders that have no clear challengers, we love to have a choice as human beings, if there is one type of water we start looking around other shelves for different bottles of water.
We believe that if we come across a variety of choices and made one we have made a better decision. Now giving these big brands competition, no matter how little is good market.
“The opportunity lies in providing disruptive products, in the sense that they are cheaper and better, entering the market from the market and displace its leader.
Nimble SMEs like yourselves can work harder in finding cheaper ways of producing products and selling them for cheaper prices”, he said.
He said the other gap lies in offering services or products in local currency where most, if not all, market players do so in foreign currency. Mr Dongo said big retailers must also support SMES.
“You can walk into our branches and notice there is no mealie-meal, target that gap and fill it up. Approach N Richards and offer supplying mealie-meal, for instance right now there is a deficit in supply for cooking oil, mealie-meal, fine salt, washing powder, amongst many.
So there is a gap everywhere, SMEs should be problem solvers. We offer SMEs market feedback, funding partnerships, training in business management and we also have an open door policy for an advisory system,” he said.
