Diaspora Matters

Just how did we survive as Africans before modern medicine was shipped to the continent? What were the local solutions to local problems? Were studies conducted to assess the strengths and weaknesses? Did we incorporate best practices or African practices were just condemned?

We have seen it with the Covid-19 pandemic, some Africans took the bull by its horns and also joined the bandwagon of finding a cure. Well done to Madagascar! We are still waiting for detailed researches to confirm the medicinal value of their traditional medicine though but so far so good.

Turning to the local scene, there are some medicines that are really helpful and we feature below what we found circulating on social media.

It is also interesting to note that some medicine such as Zumbani are being  sold in leading retail shops and being sold out.

Business Opportunities

Need for detailed market surveys,

Appreciation of local laws and regulations,

Need for good branding and packaging,

Development of a business plan and launch,

Available local herbs that can be commercialised

1) Shumha – the fruit is used to heal ringworms and skin diseases. Burn the extract and apply the affected part(s)

 2) Mukundanyoka– Extracted from the trunk, grind it so as to dry then crush it into powder. – Cures Malaria, Blood Pressure, Diabetes and Toothaches.

3) Mupfura/Amarula – treats diarrhoea, prevention of malaria. – Is drunk as a tonic for weakness and fatigue.

 4) Mutsine/Black jack – treats swelling of tissue due to fluid accumulation. – supports brain function. – cures ulcers. – treats diabetes. – is used as a vegetable.

5) Mutsambadzi – treats flue, – stomach ache, – treats eye problems, – cures wounds .

6) Moringa – cures all kinds of diseases, – it stimulates the appetite, – it reduces viral loads, – it boosts the immune system – Boil the plant extracts and drink the liquid.

7) Mutohwe – the root extracts are chopped and placed in the ear as medicine for earache. 3 | P a g e

8) Mubvamaropa – the bark is used to relieve stomach disorders, – It cures headaches – is also a cure for malaria

 9) Mutarara – cures toothache – strengthens the teeth and gums – Extracted from the tree bark, it is dried and ground into a powder. Soak in water for 30 minutes then it will be ready to drink.

 10) Tsangamidzi – heals stomach pains, – helps reduce high blood pressure – Boil the powder in water and drink the liquid. – Sprinkle onto your food as you eat.

11) Ndorani/Ndolwani – it cures Ngubhani – it heals hypertension and stomach upsets

 12) Mpangara – used to treat toothache

13) Dhorofiya – cures glaucoma – cures wounds – cures fatigue – cures ulcers – cures diabetes – cures herpes

 14) Mususu – reduces and cures stomach pains

15) Munyatera – reduces stomach pains – cure running upset stomach – reduces high body tempeurate – cures snake bites

 16) Gavakava – it heals stomach aches – it clears black spots and removes pimples – it heals wounds – it heals nyon’o in chickens

17) Mango leaves – cures boils – alleviate skin conditions – cures chest conditions – reduces and cancels asthma  – wash with cold water and chew thoroughly, swallow the juice and leaves, – drink the juice of boiled mango leaves to heal diarrhoea and incontinence(quick discharge of water/urine) – boosts blood quantities

18) Avocado leaves – boost the blood supply – cures Blood pressure – Boil the leaves and drink the liquid

19) Lemon leaves – boost the pulse rate – boil and drink the liquid

20) Zumbani Tea(Lippia Javanica) – Prevents on-set of degenerative diseases such as cancer, stroke and diabetes – Lowers pain such as abdominal pain, menstrual pain, backache and chest pain – Lowers swelling – Treats fevers, especially in the case of malaria, influenza and measles – Treats coughs, colds and bronchial problems

 – Helps prevent lung infections – Treats dysentery and diarrhoea – Is caffeine-free – Has vital minerals such as copper, zinc and iron – Low in tannin, much lower than Rooibos and far much lower than regular tea – Boosts the immune system – Has aphrodisiacs properties – Treats fertility problems – Is antibacterial – Is antiviral – Helps treat acne, eczema, dermatitis and hair loss – Treats seizures and heart rhythm disturbances – Fights prostate cancer and prostate enlargement

On a weekly basis, our forum compiles a newsletter for our members. The newsletter targets more than 10,000 of our members on our Whatsapp groups.

In this latest edition:

-Source of Opportunities

-Forum Hack and Recovery

-Welcome to Hydroponics

– Jah Prayzer and Digital Marketing

-Recipe of the week

-Mbira Video of the week

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Truck drivers have the most information when it comes to opportunities! They transport the most wanted goods within the country and what is more? Across the borders too including the region…

They know changes in goods being transported and also share stories of what they will be carrying with fellow drivers. What is Zimbabwe transporting to Beira and back? Durban to Kinshasa and back?

They have a wealth of information on opportunities which is unparalled! This is why we gave more time to our member based in Tanzania at the February meeting in Chitugwiza.

In future newsletter editions, we will include a *Gonyet Driver Opportunities Tracker* to monitor latest opportunities from the trucking sector

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Forum Hack and Recovery

What a scare yesterday, woke up  and got shocked to see our forum hacked with admin changes. Our Facebook is one of the key pillars of the forum as we have close to 70,000 members with the rate of growth of 300 new additions everyday.

Formed 6 years ago, the forum has a wealth of information which is a key asset to the nation. All opportunity discussions are there, we have covered every sector.

Of late we had also witnessed an upsurge in the number of views per month with numbers nearing 800,000 meaning a great market place for forum members.

We are glad we managed to get help and would also like to advise our members to use the two-factor authentification on Facebook. It allows you to log into Facebook using an sms key submitted to your phone.

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Hydroponics Opportunities

Climatic change is reality and this has serious repercussions on food security across the continent. How should farmers cope?

Welcome to hydroponics which is a method of growing plants in water based, nutrient rich  solution. It does not use soil, instead the root system is supported using an inert medium such as perlite, rockwool, clay pellets, peat moss or vermiculture.

Sounds Greek and Not Interesting? Yes in Zimbabwe we generally resist new things until a sufficient number of people have joined and making great profits.

Visit Hydroponics in Zimbabwe Facebook Page and be inspired by Accountant turned farmer, Venencia Mukarakati. Visit Youtube too for many case studies.

Opportunities to grow crops for exports too given that the EU is importing fruits and veges from Zimbabwe.

Capital? This is where Crowdfarming comes in. Once you set up a structure, its difficult for anyone to then say the structure was stolen. The good thing is farming can be conducted in urban areas allowing ease of monitoring and also access to markets.

Watch out for Hydroponic crowdfunding initiatives in the coming months.

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Jah Prayzer and Digital Marketing

He released an album  titled Hokoyo and it has been doing well on Youtube with record views. He also made history by releasing 7 great videos from the same album.

Did you notice this? He invited fans to post their videos dancing to their favourite songs. You will agree some of the videos are top quality. Some of the videos have gone viral…Zim has talent!

What should be of interest to Digital Marketing Students is the involvement of *users* in the video marketing experience. Those who produces great videos benefit too as their videos also go viral and exposing their talents to millions of viewers.

In your marketing initiatives, are you just uploading videos on Youtube and folding your hands? Food for thought.

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Recipe of the week

🥮 *Rich Chocolate Cake* 🥧

*Author: Runyararo Bake-It*
*0772 906 271*

*COURSE: Special Occasion or Dessert.*

Ingredients
#2 cups of flour
#1/2 cup of unsweetened Cocoa Powder.
#2 cups of sugar.
#1cups of buttermilk.
#1cup of warm strong black coffee.
#2 teaspoons of vanilla essence.
#2 teaspoons of baking powder.
#1 tablespoons of baking soda.
#1/2 cup of oil.
#1 teaspoon of salt.
#4 eggs.

Method
1. Mix and sift all your dry ingredients together.
2. Mix all the wet ingredients together except the black coffee.
3. Add all your wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and start mixing.
4. Gradually add the warm black coffee till your cake batter is well mixed.
5. Bake at 180degrees fan oven for about 30mins.
6. Us a cocktail stick to poke on the middle of the cake to see whether it’s ready.

**Bake-It*
*Taste the difference**
https://www.facebook.com/bakeIt88/

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Mbira Video of the week

 Moyo Yavo Yakaoma: African Mbira Drums

The video of a truckdriver with his truck on auto-drive whilst he was busy dancing to mbira music went viral on social media around February. We searched for the song on Youtube and found it. It is magical, if you want a jiti experience then this is the video for you. Immense talent from youngsters featured in the video. How about the drums? Zimbabwe has had great drummers from the late Jethro Shasha, former Black Spirits drummer, Sam Mataure, Obert Gomba from Mberikwazvo but those who appreciate drums will give the drummers in the video a world cup!

Great song but do not get addicted!

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Telegram Account

We opened a Telegram Account which is similar to Whatsapp in functions and the good news is unlike Whatsapp, Telegram allows us to add up to 200,000 members. This means one big market for the forum. Do look out for the forum link and join hundreds of others.

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Zim Business Ideas and Network

No 34 Quendon Rd, Monavale, Harare

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Tutors will have to play catch up with a number of subjects due to the disturbances from the Covid-19 pandemic. We look at one subject which can assist tutors to help students catch up quickly and the subject is accounting. For beginners, the subject is introduced the same way be it at form 1, form 3, A level, undergraduate or post graduate level.

Traditional Approach

The most common way to teach accounting is to start from the bottom and build upwards. Debit/Credits, T Accounts, Journals and ledgers, Trial balances, Profit and Loss then Balance sheet and cashflows. Key accounting concepts are also introduced during the course including accounting standards.

For starters, the bottom up approach can be confusing and may take ages for students  to appreciate what exactly they are doing and why.

Disruptive Approach

You start with the end product (financial reports)

Showcase the set of final financial statements. The Profit and Loss, Cashflow, Balancesheet and accompanying notes used for external reporting .

Showcase the set of management accounts used for decision making and the various components.

Print hard copies and bound them in book formats. Students will constantly refer to the books throughout their studies.

Computerised Final Accounts

Students should appreciate how the accounts are prepared and tutors can utilise simple accounting softwares such as Pastel and demonstrate source document inputs and running reports.

Accounting visualised

A visit to the stock exchange will help students to appreciate how companies raise funds. How the stock exchange  works, getting a feel of stock share certificates and interviewing investors and stock brokers. An important output is where do equity on balance sheet emanates from?

Balance sheet visualised

Help students appreciate components of a balance sheet such as:

Assets: Physical buildings, equipment, vehicles, inventory examination. Take photos of assets and let students create own balance sheets.

Liabilities: Take students through liabilities reviewing a sample of reports, conducting interviews and referring to published financial statements.

Profit and loss account Visualised

A visit to a local retail shop, tuckshop and others and observe operations, how they are recording transactions and creating records will help. How the Profit and Loss links up with Balance sheet etc

They should have a set of a trial balance and appreciate its importance, how it’s linked to other ledgers and accounts.

They can be asked to create own personal financial statements, or help  family members running businesses.

Linking Financial Reports with Source Documents

The last stage is an exercise of linking the final accounts with the source documents.

This is back to Debit and Credit concepts  linking it with the final accounts.

T accounts preparations and appreciating the big picture. By referring to accounting system financial reports print outs.

Journal and Ledger entries with students linking them to their copies of the big picture of final accounts.

Advantages

The accounting course can be completed in record time and this can even be slicing 70% off the traditional approach.

Students will complete the course with practical skills and for those interested in pursuing the course further, they would have got a great foundation.

The traditional approach wastes a lot of time with too much theory which may make it difficult for students to appreciate why they will be doing the course and what exactly they will be doing.

Tours can help reduce study time by a considerable amount. Images of a balance sheet likely to stay longer in the minds of students than having a tutor standing in front of a class and delivering lectures.

In future we will look at more subjects such as Mathematics, Economics, Business Management and others.

We hope you find this useful.

What clear message is coming from the ban of kombis? Covid-19 has ushered in formal opportunities. Those with big buses will benefit at the expense of kombis. Those with registered bus companies have no worries about opportunities.

How about the transportation of tobacco? The script is the same, organised transport companies have more to benefit than small scale transporters.

Vendors operating from illegal structures? We all witnessed what transpired.

Covid-19 has brought in the need for order in the biggest sector in the country (Zimbabwe has the second largest informal sector in the world). The sector is expected to be orderly and meaningfully contribute to economic growth through taxes, levies and formal economic participation.

What opportunities do we see on the horizon?

Transport: Kombis, mshikashikas and other transport players can pool resources andlobby the responsible authorities to be allowed to operate as groups of companies. If all kombis in Mabvuku register under one company, rebrand and have trained professional staff, then there might be leniency from policy makers. If the company can provide evidence of driver training, customer care skills, self regulating mechanisms and evidence of tax compliance, then they have improved chances of getting an ear from responsible ministries. This is better than operating your own kombi and hoping that the ban will be lifted.

Vendors: In countries such as Thailand, they have a selected vendors who use designated places and they operate from neat and professional vending carts. An opportunity for registered vendors to engage city officials with proposals.

Online Tutors: E-Education is the new norm but there is the issue of many scattered tutors and it is difficult to assess quality or conduct reference checks. Great opportunity for a registered body of online tutors with impeccable credentials.

There are many more opportunities coming but the key word is formalisation! It is also being organised and working as teams.

Working as teams is a huge challenge in Zimbabwe and the late Prof Masipula Sithole aptly captured it when he said ‘If you take 2 Zimbabweans to the moon, the following day they would have formed 3 political parties’

Having worked with thousands of entrepreneurs across SADC, the most difficult ones are found in Zimbabwe. As soon as  progress starts showing signs, intense jostling of positions commences-many fights break out. Even people who had not shown interest suddenly join in the scramble for power and resources. This is the curse that has destroyed many group initiatives.

If the informal sector has to succeed, then there is need for a paradigm shift. Keep fighting or pulling each other down and the train of opportunities will keep moving in full speed!

Home work for you-are you helping to build formal and organised groups of businesses or you prefer flying solo? Calculate the opportunity cost of solo and informal businesses…..

Customer experience is one area the forum is very passionate about. It goes hand in glove with Digital Marketing. If you read our 20018 debut book then you should be aware of Chapter 5 dedicated to the topic. In our latest Digital Marketing Book, we opened the book with staging experiences.

Let’s look at a few case studies of practical customer experiences:

Case Study 1

In 2017 the author attended a funeral in Tandi Rusape.  Upon arrival in the evening took a few relatives to a shopping centre across Mhezi River. A sleepy place with little going on and we identified a butchery where we bough meat, tomatoes and cucumbers. We purchased a few drinks from shops across the road and did set up our own braai.

What started as a small event soon snowballed into a massive experience as passing motorists upon seeing the braai going on stopped and joined in. Kombi drivers heading to the last stop in Chitsva joined us and within 2 hours we had a large gathering of us, passing motorists and villagers.

Villagers selling rabbit meat also joined in the braai experience sharing village stories of farming, hunting and other social issues. Our team had urban stories including entrepreneurship.

The butchery owner was surprised to learn of the massive potential she possessed as she ran out of meat. Bottle store owners across the road could not believe that all action had diverted to the small butchery which had never run out of meat in ages.

Case Study 2

When we toured Beira in October, we decided to save on accommodation by looking for cheap accommodation in Dondo about 40km from Beira. Accomodation was US$8/room and it was not really bad as it had basics.

If you have ever travelled along the Machipanda-Beira Road, you should be aware of the Tongaat Hullet turnoff and at the turnoff there is a restaurant pub or banca. The 3 of us did light up the place in the 3 days we were in Mozambique.

Frelimo supporters coming from a rally in Beira ended up congregating at the place and on the last day, they closed at 4:00am instead of the usual 9:00pm. We staged memorable experiences and resulted in a lot of contacts with  some promising us access to land!

Case Study 3

Our meeting in February at Leisure Centre in Chitungwiza had the biggest gathering of entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe. We did not have one place presenting but a diverse team tackling various topics such as bus transport, crowdfarming, real estate, regional opportunities and more.  The presenters staged experiences and it paid off. The after meeting had more memorable experiences and networking.

We repeated the concept with the March Meeting at Capitalk Gardens were an even greater number of forum members attended. Sadly the Covid-19 shutdown affected our plans but one thing is apparent…the forum can attract thousands of members through staging memorable experiences!

Incorporating experiences in your business

-Have you been to National Tyres in Harare recently? Their headquarters situated in Graniteside now has a fabulous fitting centre where clients rest whilst watching television whilst their vehicles have tyres fitted.

– Have you witnessed Mambos Chicken Ads? How do they factor in experiences?

-Did you read our feature of Thailand customer experiences?

-Did you know the doctor’s waiting room ensures you do not get bored whilst the doctor is busy with other clients?

-Why does Mai Chisamba show include audience participation?

-Why does Millinier Properties include videos in their adverts?

One for the road

There is customer service which we are all aware of but this is elementary. The advanced series include customer experiences and this is still an alien concept in Zimbabwe. Those who master it will have a headway and this explains why we are passionate about it. It is a little known concept and yet creates and sustains your business.

One can just start a business today-stage experiences and carve out a niche market for themselves. The good thing is customer experiences do not cost an arm and a leg….its just a mindset, its is a culture done on a consistent basis. Clients keep coming and they also refer others when they experience exceptional experiences.

To those who got a Digital Marketing Book, the good news is we are compiling a book on Customer Experiences and its coming free of charge. Add customer experiences on top of the digital marketing skills and we will be confident of having created winners.

We have started compiling the easy to read and apply book and will share the good news in 2 weeks time.

We would like you to win big tenders! We will be extremely happy  if one of you wins a big tender….this is good growth. But however there is no school of winning tenders!

Noone is also going to come and teach you how to win tenders unless you bump into an article like this, chances are high you will remain in the dark.

I have been fortunate enough to review a huge number of tenders especially in foreign governments and NGOs and in this article will share what I have observed over the past years.

1. Prepare your company to win tenders from day 1
2. Register it, prepare financial statements, pay your taxes and follow good corporate practices
3. Analyse budget allocations by governments. If there is a budget allocation for dam constructions and you are an engineering company, then get prepared from the day of the budget presentations.
4. The Donor community spends hundreds of millions in Zim, do you follow their priorites and budget allocations?
5. Get your PRAZ registration early

Rule No 1: Meet Requirements

I have articulated the basic requirements above….very easy but most of you take them for granted.

Rule No 2: Align your company for tenders

Do a lot of good work, get references and document them

Do great work of neat filing and improving your brand

Buy newspapers on a constant basis and follow the tender winds

Allocate time for tenders; it can be 2% of your time

Rule No 3: Tender Task Force

Who will assist you in tender applications? Will you hire outsiders or use own team?

Do you have sufficient time for application, review and quality control and submission in time?

Common mistakes with tender applications

First stage: Not following the rules resulting in failing at the first stage (Tender references, late entries, wrong marking , no tax clearances, no bank statements, no audit reports etc)

Second stage: Quality review test, value analysis (cost benefit analysis) business models, sustainability, little innovation or considerations of trending issues.

Third Stage: References check. At the end of a long process of review, 3 finalists are short listed and references are checked. Many take this stage for granted and unfortunately pay a heavy price.

My experiences of reviewing tenders

I have concentrated on conducting financial analysis. Compliance issues-registrations, tax compliance, audit reports review, corporate governance, financial ratios analysis, business models reviews, cost benefit reviews and more financial matters reviews.

Biggest regret was disqualifying a Zimbabwean based company tendering for a multi million dollar project. They were on their way to winning but there was one small thing missing…an audit report worth US$4500! And a tender worth more than US$10 million was blown away. Accounting and audits may be a small matter but they can cost you millions of dollars.

Is there corruption in tenders?

Stories abound of corruption in tenders. People who pay brown envelopes to tender committee members and from as early as 2003, I heard of 20% kickbacks but however in the many tenders I have reviewed, everything was done above board. All processes were documented ensuring the best won.

Additional  Tips

Have a checklist of the tender-use it in tender preparation and submission. For first timers, this process is not easy as you may have to spend sleepless nights  with no guarantee of winning. For every tender you fail to win, ask for feedback on why you failed and then work on your weaknesses.

The best case study of how to win tenders is how Dr Strive Masiyiwa won the MASCOM tender in Botswana, search on his Facebook page the experiences he shared.

So prepare your company for winning the next big tender and remember its not an event but a long process. Zimbabwean companies encouraged to also look beyond the borders for tender opportunities and when you apply, make sure you partner with locals.

The oldest university in the country has restructured its programs and came up with some exciting new ones. We give credit to the university administration for creating programs that align to the current and future needs of the country.

We list our top 10 new programs (hoping we have not made a mistake of listing old programs as new).

1. Bsc Honours Value Chain Development and Agricultural Marketing
2. Creative Designs Animation and Motion Graphics
3. Bsc Financial and Accounting Systems Development and Applications
4. Bsc Honours Audit and Risk Management
5. Bsc Honours Digital Banking
6. Bsc Honors Cybersecurity and Forensics Auditing
7. Bsc Honours Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
8. Bsc Honours Cloud Computing and Internet of Things
9. Bsc Drug Discovery and Therapeutics
10. Bsc Data Science and Systems

The future is digital and with 4IR already upon us, we looked at the new curricula with 4IR lenses and the introduction of the Bsc Financial and Accounting Systems Development and Applications shows that the college is moving with the times.

A good number of accounting students are tech savvy and had nowhere to demonstrate and develop their skills. How many accounting softwares in the country were developed by locals?

Creative Designs Animation and Motion Graphics shows that we are aligning with the needs of the 4IR and this is a great addition. The same applies to ICT degrees covering Cybersecurity and Forensics Accounting, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Cloud Computing and Internet of things.

One missing area has been of local drugs! Why do we keep relying on foreign drugs when our forefathers used local solutions to local problems? Why are our local colleges mum on finding a vaccine for Covid-19? What tests have they done to date? Why is Madagascar the only country talking about local solutions?

In our 2020 Business Opportunities for Zimbabweans, we covered a local medicine that helps in the Anti Malaria fight. Its used by locals in the Eastern Highlands and found in abundance. Why cant we use it and help save thousands of lives and help save forex too? We would like to see results from the Bsc Drug Discovery and Therapeutics.

Agricultural degrees from the institute are top notch and we highly recommend them even for foreign students.

Missing is E-Education and hope this can be integrated in the Educational degrees.

Short courses the university can also add include:

1. Digital Marketing
2. Block Chain Technology
3. Big Data
4. Cyber security ( only exists as a full time degree)
5. Network Marketing local products

With most students unable to secure employment, every degree needs courses on creating opportunities for graduates.

A degree in accounting should include courses on how to open an own accounting firm. How do you register companies?  How can your accounting knowledge and skills be of benefit to the small business sector?

 Law students or laboratory students should also follow the same model. If formal employment is not forthcoming, how about creating own ventures and utilising the same skills they obtained from college? Will law degrees include E-Law?

Stakeholders will be analysing the content of what students will be learning-comparing and contrasting with foreign colleges and professional courses too. Will accounting students graduate knowing how to use accounting systems? We get satisfaction that they will now be able to develop own systems too.

The hope is other colleges will not simply copy and paste what UZ has done but to provide better alternatives. The UZ has done a sterling job although there are gaps in developing skills for the informal sector which is absorbing more than 90% of its graduates.

So far so good, well done University of Zimbabwe.

Farming is perhaps the most important profession in the whole world yet the most underrated. One way or the other we all depend on the farmer for survival as most of our food is produced by farmers directly or indirectly. Globally farming is a multi-billion-dollar industry contributing to the GDP’s of many countries. Before we talk about billion-dollar levels let us start at small scale farming level were most farmers are in Zimbabwe.

Emmanuel D.N Dube |ZBIN Agronomy correspondent

A remarkably interesting topic came up last week in one of our ZBIN Agric groups when a farmer was seeking advice on how to grow a certain crop. So many views came up, various schools of thought came up some toxic and some helpful. In this article we shall cover a few basics neededfor one to run a farming enterprise successfully.

1. Have interest.

Nothing as joyous as getting paid to do what you have a passion for. Having a strong interest in farming usually has a positive effect on production and success of the business.

• Farming is a not a get rich quick business

Ask any farmer out there who has made it they will tell you that the rewards take a while to come to fruition for some its months and some years. There are so many variables that can affect your plan resulting in losses. Yes risks are there in farming too hence the need for careful planning. You are not likely to get rich quick in farming.

• Planning

Perhaps one of the most important tasks in farming is planning. Without a solid plan you have planned to fail. Before embarking on any farming venture you need to sit down and look at the numbers and viability. Most small-scale farmers will just grow crop X because their neighbour is doing it and they heard it makes money, “Heard”, is the key word there. It is crucial to carry out your own research before embarking on any farming venture.

• Technical expertise

Very few small-scale farmers appreciate the need to seek the services of a technical expert to help them get the best yield and value from their crop. I have come across a commercial farmer who is growing blue berries for export, he has agronomists fly in from South Africa every fortnight to come and check on his crop because he values his business. Ok maybe you are not a commercial farmer and cannot afford such services, well most seed houses, Agro-dealers and even the government have free extension services which you can put to good use. Locally we do have agronomists who are more than capable to assist at a very affordable price. Perhaps it is important to look at it from a business point of view. In conclusion if you do not know how to do the job employ someone who can and pay them well to get good results.

• Funding

If you do not have adequate resources do not grow it, that is what I tell some of the farmers I come across. It is pointless to labour so hard with inadequate resources and produce 30% of what you should have had the resources been available. Rather you concentrate on growing a small and manageable area and get the best quality and yield and grow from there.

• Do not bite off more than you can chew

Like any business do not commit to growing more than you can manage. This goes back to point number 3 of planning. A lot of companies are now into contracting farming and will offer you seemingly lucrative deals, do not hasten to put pen to paper look at the plan carefully. Ask yourself, Do I have the labour to manage the crop? Do I have the equipment?

• Loans

These come in various shapes and forms and you need to be incredibly careful not to get trapped in these although they can be a good foot stool to get your enterprise up and running. Some organisations are offering tractors and combine harvesters on a long-term loan basis. Honestly, you do not need a combine harvester if you a growing less than 20 ha of grain crop its cheaper to higher the machine every time you need it. Engage a qualified financial expect to help you decide and make an informed decision.

Whether you are growing your crops in your back yard or have an entire farm it is important to look at farming as a business and not just as a hobby. Once this is applied across the board you are on your way to successful farming.

Emmanuel is a qualified Agronomist and development practitionerwith more than a decade’s experience working in the agri-business industry and development sector. You can contact him on edndsep@gmail.com or whatsapp on 0783495396

Following the ban of the kombis, our forum of 66,000 members conducted a survey yesterday and the results are as follows:

Good Move- Provide Adequate Transport System first: 140

Long overdue-Good Move:  69

Bad Decision: 33

Conclusion

There is support for the move provided an efficient mass public transport system is put in place.

Implications

No reliable statistics exist of the number of kombis in the country but this is a big hit on their income. Our estimates are that there could be more than 50,000 kombis supporting more than 3 families (The owner of the kombi, the driver and assistant/hwindi). This means 150, 000 affected and if we factor in an average family of 3, then a minimum of 450,000 people affected by the ban. Of course some few will be incorporated in the ZUPCO franchise but it will be a tiny drop in the ocean.

How did we get to this situation?

Kombis had become outlaws! They flouted all the traffic rules with impunity and in the processes creating nemesis all over. City councils did not like them; the traffic police did not like them either-what is worse? They created an acrimonious relationship with their key stakeholders-passengers!

When you start stepping on the toes of everyone then your days are numbered! Kangoma kakanga koririsa…

The missing link

Given the huge number of kombis, the owners should have formed a strong association like in South Africa. An association that gives the sector a voice so that they can engage key stakeholders such as city councils and the government.

The association would have helped resolve contentious issues such as discipline by the kombis-using designated pick up points, reasonable pricing, tax compliance, road traffic rules compliance and customer service.

Self regulation by kombi owners and keeping members in check would have been an asset for sustainability. This is happening across Limpopo and to a limited extent in Bulawayo. We need order on the roads!

But the kombis decided to operate individually and now look at the results.

Way forward

It is not too late to set up or revive an association during the lockdown. They need a strong voice which can be heard by the government. They need to engage them and come up with proposals. Even in South Africa with one of the best mass public transport systems, there is room for kombis.

One area they can look at is coming up with branded kombis and help schools with school runs. This is a big sector in the country but will need a few disciplined kombis to gain the trust of schools, parents and the government. This will be in addition to the few who will manage to register under the ZUPCO franchise.

Some can even register under the delivery vans brand and help in agriculture produce and groceries deliveries across the towns.

There is need to study the South Africa model too where some associations had even pooled resources to buy service stations and bigger buses.

Our ZBIN Ride is another platform kombi owners can use to find clients and the good thing is that it’s free.

With mshikashikas banned too, opportunities created for the tuk tuks in the CBD and Econet had already done some trial runs. Entrepreneurs need to watch closely this emerging opportunity.

Biggest lesson learnt

When you are not organised, when you do not have a strong voice, the result is often doom. This applies to many other sectors in the country especially the informal sector.

When it comes to financial reports review or analysis, many focus on budget vs actual performance.

Did we make a profit? How does it compare against the budget?

If you are a bit advanced, how is our profit compared to competitors?

The balance sheet growth, the cashflows etc

So financial statements tell you how good you are performing? Do they tell the full picture?

Of course there have been attempts to get a balanced picture such as the use of performance metrics in other areas or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and The Balanced Scorecard.

But how often are these measures used by small businesses?

Welcome to the world of lost business or hidden costs.

Self Assessment

1. How much money did you lose due to the absence of a Digital Strategy?
2. How much did you lose due to non disclosure of prices on your ads?
3. How much money did you lose due to extortionate pricing?
4. How much money did you lose due to bad  customer experiences?
5. How much money did you lose due to customer inconveniences?
6. How much money did you lose due to insistence on USD payments?
7. How much money did you lose by not hiring experts?
8. How much money did you lose due to high employee turnover?
9. How much money did you lose by using obsolete machinery?
10. How much money did you lose due to non registration of your business?
11. How much money did you lose by not partnering with others?

What you don’t know doesn’t hurt right? Well not so true….you will eventually encounter problems and many often regret when it’s too late.

The focus is often times centred on selling, selling, replenishing stock and selling. If the income comes in then we are fine BUT we never think of lost opportunities because most of them are invisible.

If a potential client searches for your business online and they don’t find you…no official record is registered in your books!

If you post an ad with no prices, no one comes to you to complain!

Perhaps you can record the number of clients who inquire about your products and services intending to use Ecocash and when you insist on cash, they walk out of the door?

How do you track the number of clients lost due to your employees being rude to clients?

Difficult world

When reviewing performance, focus on what is measurable –analyse for decision making but also PAUSE and reflect. What is the value of lost business? How do you measure it? What actions are you taking to recover potential lost business?

With most entrepreneurs not fully appreciating the value of financial experts, the results is you have to be a CEO, HR Manager, Marketing Manager, Finance Director, Production Director at the same time! Too many skills demanded at the same time and honestly no one can possess all of these skills at the same time.

This is why most start-ups fold within 6 months and for those that ride the wave, less than 15% remain standing on both feet at the end of 5 years!

So during the extra 2 weeks of the lockdown, take a pen and a paper and calculate the value of lost business—create a corrective plan and implement it as soon as yesterday.