Diaspora Matters

The number of registered cars in Zimbabwe is 1,6 million according to ZIMSTAT and the number keeps increasing on a monthly basis. Who is benefiting from spare parts, servicing, repairs and maintenance? Thousands of entrepreneurs and one area of focus is the car wash business.

We cover below a premium chat from one of our members. The only missing link being the question and answer segment. We highly recommend that you become a subscribed member and benefit from direct engagement during presentations.

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. My name is Tennyson. I will be making a presentation on establishing and running a premium car wash business. So let’s meet at 7 for the presentation.

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Once again good evening ladies and gentlemen. A warm welcome tho those who have managed to join us for this evening’s presentation.(Establishing and running a premium car wash). My name is Tennyson. Have had 7 years managing a high end cash wash. Have also assisted in setting up premium car wash businesses.

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The following items would be needed for the establishment of a car wash

– Industrial vacuum cleaners (wet and dry ideal where upholstery cleaning services will be offered)

– High pressure water guns/ system

– industrial dryers (where upholsterer cleaning services will be offered)

– Washing chemicals

– Water tanks (where municipal water is not reliable)

– Generator (for power stand by)

– Sponges and microfibres

– Paper rolls (for windows)

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The chemicals include

– Car shampoo/soap

– Body polish

– tyre polish

– Air freshener

– Black trim polish

– Leather polish

– Rim restorer

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Ideal location for a car wash would be busy malls, and areas where there is a high traffic of people who would have their car washed.

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This is a facility where customers book in their cars and go shopping or to do other errands and then collect their cars when they are done.

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Operations/ processes

– A customer drives up, have their details taken. Name, contact number, vehicle make and registration number etc

– A driver takes the car to the high pressure bay where it is high pressured to remove dust and mud (care has to be taken to avoid high pressuring cars with signs of peeling paint. Cars with wrap should not be high pressured. No chemicals or soap or polish should be used on cars with matt finishes as this creates smudges that will be very difficult to remove

– After the high pressuring soap or shampoo is then applied and car washed. Moved to next high pressure point to rinse of the soap . Tyres and rims are also washed and

– Vehicle is then driven to the drying bays where it is dried and vacuumed and cleaned inside.

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After these processed vehicle is quality checked and parked for collection by owner. Keys are always kept in an office throughout the whole process.

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There is great need for well experienced and competent personnel. Or in-house thorough training should be done.

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2 cleaners can be assigned to one car . One to wash the body and rims and the other to do inside. The sponge and bucket as well as the water used to clean the rims and tyres should never be used on the body to avoid scratching.

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There will be customers who will complain of scratches , damage, dents on their cars. While some will be genuine, others will just want to take a chance. Hence it is important to check the car at booking for any scratches and dents or any other damages.

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A good CCTV will help in addressing such complains (including complaints of theft). Customers should always be advised to removed all valuables. Done valuable may be kept in the office if customer cannot carry that with them.

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Insurance should also be considered where a vehicle would have been scratched or damaged while at the car wash.

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Where upholstering cleaning services would be offered industrial dryers should be available. 2 would be ideal. These blow hot air into the vehicle to dry the seats and the carpets. With good dryers it would take around 3 hours to dry drowning on how dirty the seats would have been.

…….

The following packages may be considered

– Standard wash (wash outside including tyres). Vacuum and inside cleaning plus tyre polish and black trims

– Special package (standard plus body polish

– Premium (special plus polishing of leather seats

– Super valet (premium plus upholstery cleaning – washing carpets and seats). The washing of seats and carpets can be done without removing the seats.

The Zimbabwe Business Ideas and Network has members dotted across Zimbabwe and the diaspora. The diverse membership helps us in business launches and linkages. From Masvingo we have Taku Mapfumo who delivered a Premium Chat a few weeks back.

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My name is Takudzwa Mapfumo from Masvingo. Ndiri mubuja who was born and bred in Masvingo so i can say ndiri weZhira by association. I am a recent graduate holding a BArts Hons Degree in Development Studies from GZU and volunteering as a Development Consultant at the Zimbabwe Parents of Handicapped Children’s Association Masvingo Chapter. I am a passionate farmer doing poultry , cuniculture and guinea pig farming. And a full-time network marketer at The Perfume Co Africa.

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Being in Masvingo for quite a long time i have seen Masvingo grow from a small town and recently it’s been expanding with number of schools and shops increasing . The opening of Great Zimbabwe University multi-compass school has also opened a vast number of opportunities for business people from Student accommodation, food outlets to name but a few. Masvingo is also surrounded by gold mines from Manyama, Bhuka , Mashava , Bhani . There is a lot of gold panning and illegal gold mining saka mari irimo muMasvingo.

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As a mother being at University taught me how being a student has a lot of financial burdens especially for students and the parents. After paying school fees there are lot of other costs at school. I saw a lot of kids succumbing to peer pressure because they couldn’t afford some necessities and some even dropping out of school. That’s when i decided to give Network Marketing a chance especially The Perfume Co Africa because of its affordability i have helped students start something of their own and reduce financial pressure on parents. I would advise parents before sending kids to university to at least give your child a skill that they can monetise and earn an income for themselves.

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Network marketing with The Perfume Co Africa offers young university students an affordable and empowering route to financial independence, helping them break free from negative peer pressure. By earning their own income while studying, students are less likely to rely on unhealthy social circles for financial support or validation. The business equips them with real entrepreneurial skills, confidence, and purpose, allowing them to focus on personal growth, academics, and long-term goals. More than just selling perfumes, The Perfume Co Africa creates a supportive environment where young people choose discipline, ambition, and self-belief over destructive influences shaping responsible, independent, and empowered future leaders.

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Many people say that Masvingo yakasara which might be true in some cases especially business wise. We are close to the border but things are cheaper in Harare than in Masvingo those owning fleamarket order their stuff from Harare.

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If you have what it takes to open a business in Masvingo you can navigate the place. From food outlets, quality clothing shops , wholesale shops to mention but a few. If you need anything in Masvingo i will be happy to assist you and i will be looking forward to a ZBIN trip to Great Zimbabwe.

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For any of you who might be interested in starting a business for your children or for yourself. I would advise you to try The Perfume Co Africa joining fee is R99 you can order from R500. You can also earn more than 100% profits , more than 30% in commissions, rank up bonuses, salaries and more.

Admin: Good Evening Zbinites, Finally the rains are back. So our 3rd chat of the weekend loading..And our guest is Grace Nyakabau

Grace: Today I am going to talk about Compliance and taxes for small businesses.

I will try to make this as short as possible.

The first thing you need is to register a company. For the private sector, you can either register a Private Business Corporation or a Private Limited Company.

Benefits of Compliance

1. Credibility and Trust

2. Access to low cost funds

3. Avoid penalties associated with non compliance

4. Smooth operations…no disruptions from authorities.

Record keeping

By law, an entity is required to keep all records of a business’s transactions for up to 6 years. It is important that a company keeps both electronic and physical records, and practice proper bookkeeping to facilitate compliance, facilitate decision making and enhance accountability.

Practical Compliance tips

1. Register early,

2. Use of accounting software, record as it happens, don’t wait for year end

3. Track deadlines of your registered tax heads

4. Understand tax deduction and provisions,-deduct allowable business expenses to reduce taxable profit, keep all receipts/invoices

5. Pay taxes on time

6. Stay up to date on any compliance changes

PAYE-Pay As You Earn*

In simple terms, this is tax charged on an employee’s earnings (salaries, allowances). An entity is required to register for PAYE within 14 days of becoming an employer.

PAYE is charged using different tax bands starting from 20%. The higher the income, the higher the tax rate. The free threshold is up to $100/month.

It is also the entity’s obligation to calculate and remit PAYE to Zimra on behalf of employees.

PAYE returns are due on the 5th of the following month, and the payment is due on the 10th.

Income tax

This is tax on tax charged on profit made by a business (revenue less expenses less other provisions), and is the main tax head that an entity is automatically subscribed to. It is approximately 25% of your profit.

There are other deductions against income which are industry specific.

However, the most common across all industries is SIA or wear and tear where you can claim a deduction expenses incurred in acquiring business assets against your income. This usually leaves the tax payer with *little or no tax due to the authority.* You’d notice that most big organisations sell off their assets, in most cases cars after 4 years of ownership, this is because the tax deduction benefits of that asset would have expired.

Businesses pay provisional tax estimates QPDs on a quarterly basis (25 March, 25 June, 25September and 20 December).

A final return is required by the 30th of April of the following year. This will take into account all provisional amounts paid quarterly, and if there’s any shortfall, you’re required to pay it. However if you paid in excess of the actual obligation as per your computations, ZIMRA will give you a refund, which can be utilised in other upcoming tax returns.

Private Business Corporation

A legal entity, most suited for sole proprietors but with limited liability. It can have upto 20 members(who own and run it). It allows you to operate a single line of business.

Private Limited Company

This is a separate legal entity with limited liability, which allows one to operate as many lines of businesses as you wish. It is run by directors (requires at least two) and owned by shareholders (at least one)…a shareholder/company owner can be a director as well

VAT

Value Added Tax is an indirect tax charged on provision of goods and services. In simple terms, you’re collecting revenue/tax on behalf of the authority, by charging 15.5% tax on your goods or services.

You’re required to register for VAT once you reach the minimum threshold of $25,000 revenue(on taxable supplies) in any year of assessment, or when it is clear that you will surpass the threshold.

However, you can voluntarily register by applying to the authority.

Some/Most well established entities, contracts or tenders prefer to deal with VAT registered suppliers. This is because it reduces their VAT burden, by claiming back tax (VAT) they would have paid on their supplies.

NSSA

This one goes hand in hand with PAYE.

You’re also obligated to register as an employer with NSSA within 30 days of becoming an employer, and remit 4.5% of employees salary to the pension fund.

Limit is up to $700.

At the entity’s cost, an additional 4.5% is required to be contributed to the employee’s pension contributions.

Once your entity is registered, you’re required to register for taxes with the ZIMRA within 30 days of the company s incorporation, whether the company is operating or not.

Your entity will be allocated a Tax Identification Number(TIN), for reference in any tax related issues.

That’s when one issued with a tax clearance certificate.

Renewal is subject to compliance

Common Compliance Mistakes

1. Failing to register for taxes results in fines, back taxes and interest charges

2. Late filing of returns-may result in heavy fines and penalties.

3. Mixing business and personal expenses

4. Poor record keeping-you may miss out some expenses and this will surge your tax burden.

In conclusion,

Taxes are based on profit, not total revenue, and proper record-keeping reduces what’s payable. *Tax planning* and analysis of tax implications of every business transaction also helps you reduce tax burdens.

ZIMRA takes what is legally due, but with proper planning, record keeping, and claiming deductions, most of your income/profits remain yours.

Kindness Napawa is well known as our official ZBIN Hairdresser. Based in Kuwadzana 5, Harare; Kindness shares her experiences of venturing into Poultry Farming. Her experience of crucial importance for new starters.

Below we share her chat done in November 2025.

I began with a small number of birds, limited resources, and a desire to be independent.

My biggest inspiration was the need to build something of my own — a business I could manage daily and grow step by step.

At first, I didn’t know everything, but passion pushed me to learn.

Key Takeaway: You don’t need to start big to succeed — you just need consistency.

I started nemari yandakasevha from hairdressing. At first ndaitenga dzinenge dzasvika 3 weeks ndopedzisa. That method didn’t work for me because dzaifa dzakawanda, then I changed the strategy.

Ndakatanga kutora dzakakura kare ndichitengesa, I started realizing profits yangaisina kuwanda zvayo but ndozvakandisimudza kusvika ndakukwanisa kutenga machicks 50 nefeed. Ndopandakatanga kuona green light.

Machallenges aivopo but ndakatsingirira kusvika ndaakukwanisa kutora 100.I started early this year then mid year

I expanded ndikavaka chikwere kugoromonzi chinokwana huku 200.

Because of money ndaita huku 100 ku Goromonzi then kuwadzana 100.

Im happy last week I ordered 150 dzeku Goromonzi.

Now ndirikudakuti ndochengetera kugoromonzi kune mukomana then kuwadzana koita kwekutengesera chete.

Pekutanga ndaitya zvekubirwa but ndakazoonakut ukatya you won’t progress.

Business irinoda kunamatirwa, I pray every day for my broilers as well as anodzichengeta.

Tinoshandisa vits kutakura huku dzedu from Goromonzi 100 at a time.

Im praying kuti tikwanise kutenga mota hombe truck.

Early Challenges I Faced

High mortality due to lack of knowledge

Poor brooding conditions

Buying low-quality feed and chicks

Mismanaging heat and ventilation

What I Learned: Broiler farming rewards those who pay attention to detail. Every small mistake becomes a lesson.

What Changed Everything?

I decided to get serious about:

Proper brooding temperatures

Strict hygiene & biosecurity

Quality feed

Smart record-keeping

Understanding the birds’ behaviour

This shift turned my project from “trial and error” into a profitable business.

As for market ndinotanga kutsvaga from day 1 machicks achingouya. Ndinoshambadza kufamily, friends, vavakidzani nevatinopinda navo church.

Results I’ve Achieved

Higher survival rates

Birds reaching 2.2kg – 2.6kg

Reduced costs, because instead of buying shavings mukomana anondibatsira kugoromonzi anocheka huswa ndohwatinoshandisa as bedding.

A growing customer base for live birds and dressed chickens

Mistakes That Made Me Better

At one time I left my chicks with my son, dzakafa dzakawanda.

Ndakadzidza kuti brooding stage require proper monitoring and also to be done nemunhu anofarira zve huku.

Allowing unnecessary visitors in the coop, zvikonzeresa kuspreader mainfections. Mazuva ano macustomer ndinomati choose urikunze ndokubatira.

Ignoring small signs from the birds, zvinokucosta because kana zviri zvirwere early detection can save your flock.

Depending on one supplier, pandakatanga ndaingochinjachinja masupplier zvinoita kuti usaumbe hukama because you will be everywhere. Right now ndavana supplier 1 taanehukama panoda kuchemwa ndotochemachema.

These mistakes helped me zvakanyanya ndaakuziva zvekuita nezvekusaita, but I’m still learning .

What Makes My Broiler Operation Unique

I focus on quality and expanding my project.

My content creation also helps educate others. Vanhu vanouya vachibvunza zvakasiyanasiyana about broilers, handizive zvese asi ndobatsira zvandiine ruzivo nazvo.

I’ve built a community around broiler farming

Advice to New Broiler Farmers

Start small and master the basics

Invest in good feed, and quality chicks before anything else

Keep your coop clean and warm

Ita maths dzako, write down everything. Every cent counts.

Maintain discipline — broilers don’t tolerate “maybe”

Final Message

“Broiler farming is a serious business that can change your life.

If I did it, starting with limited resources and big dreams, you can do even better.

Today I farm with confidence because I understand my birds, their needs, and the business behind them.

Let this session inspire you to start, improve, or scale your own broiler journey.”

Are you based in diaspora and considering returning home? It is not going to be easy, but Tinashe could assist you through her Premium Chat presentation. Our forum helps showcase experiences from members with the hope of inspiring others. From once a week–we have expanded our shows to 3 and expect some of their experiences to be shared here. Of course we do not share everything which is reserved for subscribed members.

Her Show…

Thank you so much. It’s an honour to be here on this amazing platform .

Can anything good come out of Mbare? Yet here l am. Born at Edith Opperman Clinic in Mbare and raised between Mbare, Warren Park and Tafara I’m a ghetto girl.

My name is Tinashe Jaricha. Some call me Aunty Tinashe and others call me Mai No Gadgets while others have named me the No Gadgets Queen.

I wear various hats in the marketplace;

– Marketing consultant

– Digital entrepreneur

– Counsellor

– Digital Skills Trainer

– Founder of No Gadgets fun and play.

The Journey

I will mainly speak about my journey as the Founder of No Gadgets Fun and Play. This shows my journey from the boardroom to the playground. After school l went to Uni in South Africa where my mom is based and studied Marketing Management. I worked in S.A and the Middle East then came back to Zim with my family in 2020.

Home Return

When l came back I knew I didn’t want to pursue full-time employment and l decided to follow my passion and studied Counselling. It was in my final year that I had “career confusion”. What was next? Could l start from the bottom again as a Counsellor?.

I deleted all social media apps from my phone. I needed time to think, reflect and pray about what was next. I was about to turn 40 in a few months. That’s when I started observing my kids habits. They spent way too much time on gadgets. No controls, no breaks. They hardly played outside. This wasn’t the childhood l had. I grew up in the streets and came back home at night with white legs from dust and joy.

The Research

I started doing research and was shocked. This was a problem. And a global problem. Too much time on screens is not healthy for kids. This was July 2024. Come August was holidays. And I decided to start the first No Gadgets Holiday Club in my house. I invited neighbors, cousins and kids from Sunday school. They paid $5 each and got 2 meals.

The next holiday club I hired a space at a creche which helped to attract people that didn’t know me and were willing to pay.

The Next Moves

I went to a Nicaragua Independence Day exhibition. I had no idea where Nicaragua is. I met a 3KTV executive who asked me to come on their shows. They were impressed with my social media where I post videos, content and more content on what I do.

Since then  I started more programs based on parents’ feedback;

-from the start we’ve had a WhatsApp community which is free for support of parents.

– I started Saturday events – the holiday clubs were not enough.

– I now do kids parties – some parents started asking me to bring the games to their kids parties.

– Parenting in the Digital era masterclass for parents who are busy and want tips and strategies in one go..

– selling offline games for families

What I’ve learned so far:

Opportunities:

– Kids business is lucrative. There will always be need because kids are growing and need different programs as they grow.

– Once a parent can trust you with their child they’ll trust you with everything..the kids that come to my events become my counselling clients, l do their parties and even do parents counselling.

– Kids entertainment in Zimbabwe is still very minimum. There is so much to do and Opportunities to build a niche.

– One of the best advice l got: you don’t need a logo, banner or machine to start a business. You need a customer. Once you have a paying customer you’re in business. Keep taking action and things become clearer as you go.

Inspiration

What inspired the name No Gadgets Fun and Play – we want to tell kids that they can have fun and play, make friends in the real world without digital devices. It was a huge success! The kids didn’t want to leave my house at 1pm when we finished. I realized l onto something.

Our humble beginnings. I taught the kids pada, nhodo,.tsoro. We also did some modern games.

Vision:

– Penetrate schools with education and awareness on digital harms.

– Acquire funding and have my own play spaces for kids around the country.

– Go national and regional and launch programs in other cities and countries.

Inspiring Others

1) God wastes nothing. Some have said the University degree in Marketing was a waste and you’re not using it. But a lot of what l do and the skills l have is because l started in Marketing. It’s in me. The Freelance writing l did helped me to now create Content nd resources for my target audience. No experience is wasted.

2) Network,.network, network. As an entrepreneur know others and be known..

3) Apply for opportunities, don’t disqualify yourself. Funding, grants, accelerator programs, Old Mutual VCC etc. I applied to the Stanbic Bank Business Clinics in 2025. It transformed how l do business and l learnt even from the new network.

4) Be faithful in the little and God will trust you with more. Last year August was our worst holiday club. We had a new venue – we’d have 1 or 2 kids coming. But I showed up for those kids and delivered the program with enthusiasm.

5) Content, Content, content. Post value, not just your ads. Keep showing up..never mind the zero likes. Keep growing your brand.

Challenges:

– In Zim there’s a huge focus on education and academics. While that is key to success, young kids especially need play time to grow life skills : communication, resilience, conflict resolution, negotiation, language, confidence.

Socials

Follow us for our events, programs, resources, and support for parenting in the digital age.

https://www.instagram.com/nogadgetsfunnplay…

https://www.facebook.com/share/16eH5tEn7F/

https://chat.whatsapp.com/JdVN2HTIkcgL3QUzrqvPfY?mode=hqrt1

Are you considering the partnership route in business? Well done but before you put pen to paper—you may need to consider what Zbinites are saying. They have walked the same path and below they share their experiences

Ivainashe Chikondo: Mukasanyatsotaurirana each person’s role muchakuvara.Availability umwe haadi kushanda.Nyaya yekuda kukasira kudya maprofits .Madecisions anoclasher umwe neumwe achida kunzi ndiye mukuru.In other terms partnerships moto unopisa sebarika

Blessing JB: Unbalanced efforts

Sheikh Ishe Anotida Nyakudya

– Vison,

– Control,

– unmatched Customer care,

– unmatched effort,

– unmatched share of profits,

– diverse believe systems

Marceline Zvavanoda: Kutsotsana

Oscar Tapiwa Matembo:Disagreements

Doreen Dube: Unmatched efforts

Tendai Makosa:Ndichaitsanangura kuti yangu what where the causes

Tendai Makosa:Ini ndakaiita ndikanyura some years back,

Emilyn Nantamula:Ini ndikangoziva kuti maproblems anotiwira nguva dzakasiyana ndotoona iri non starter chaiyo.imagine kurwarirwa nemwana imi muine mari inenge ichinzi toda kuzostocker.haa hazvione

Romain Muchs:Greedy, lack of knowledge from partner, no contractual agreement, no vision

Letwin Saungweme

1. When you don’t define how you hire and agree on who joins and after which process panogona kupinda a person who will divide and rule. The organisation will collapse.

2. Lack of leadership skills not understanding kuti if you are both leaders failing to respect each other and backbiting each other in front of staff is like shooting yourself in the leg.

3. When one party is not financially literate and wants to enjoy profits when the project is in infancy.

4. Different belief systems when one partner believes to be successful in bussiness zvinoda kuromba and the other believes in only Jesus to bless the bussiness.

5. When one partner doesn’t value the other instead of just appreciating each other and be at peace, after all mari haigari pane noise kkkk.

Simbarashe Marinda:Decision making against urgency

Tobias Masiyazi:A partnership of single man stay peaceful than the one infiltrated by the #JezebelsAndHoles…

Augustine Mukwenya:Kuroyana

George Chipepera:Haa partnership marwadzo wangu

Ephraim Makara:Different spending models and social needs

Tendai Makosa:Business randakaiyawo ndine partner raive re Cocktail bar, i was 19 mumwe wangu was 40 saka problem hombe yaive pa “AGE” ini ndaiive ne experience pane zvema bar izvi like ma beers anowanika papi kana delta isina ndinobata ani, i was well connected, munwe wangu hapana kana zvaizivikanwa chaingivewo chidhakwa chete but pa mari anga anayo kupfuura ini, saka pama decisions apo painetsa ini using experience ndaimudza zvodiwa iye oti ndine mari kupfura iwe saka ita zvandikuda ini, at one point pa Dstv ndakatomuti lets just subscribe zve super sport iye kwakuisa movies, pamwe pacho ndikmuti lets buy more emptyis dze beer iye akanoyenga ma empty crates saka maone hama dzangu kkkkkk

Blessing Matora: Ma decisions anenge achi clasher and above all, transparency

Venus Maminya

kutsotsana ,

kunyeyana ,

Kuroyana

Kuvengana

1 anonyura chete

Eddington Pindura:Business partnership inogona kuva chinhu chinokurumidza kusimudza… kana kukudonhedza. Zvinoshamisa ndezvekuti mazhinji ematambudziko haasi pamusoro pebhizinesi pacharo — asi pamusoro pevanhu vari mubhizinesi.

Ngatitarisei zvinowanzoitika:

 Kusawirirana paVision

Pakutanga munhu wese anenge achiti “let’s build something big.”

Asi “big” rinorevei?

Mumwe anoda kukura fast, risk achiita leverage.

Mumwe anoda organic growth, achidzivirira zvikwereti.

Kana vision isina kunyatso nyorwa pasi uye kutauriranwa zvakakwana, pakufamba kwenguva munotanga kuenda nzira dzakasiyana.

 Mari ndiyo Inonyanya Kupwanya

Profit sharing disputes.

Capital contributions kusawirirana.

Mumwe kushandisa mari pasina kubvunzana.

Mumwe achinzwa sekuti ari kushanda zvakanyanya asi payout yakafanana.

Transparency ndiyo foundation. Kana ikashaikwa, trust inotanga kupera.

 Roles & Responsibilities Kusajeka

“Ndakafunga kuti ndiwe unoita izvi.”

“Handina kuziva kuti ibasa rangu.”

Kana pasina structure, munhu mumwe anopedzisira aita mabasa mazhinji. Resentment inotanga zvishoma nezvishoma.

Clear job descriptions mu partnership hazvisi zve corporate chete — zvinodzivirira makakatanwa.

 Work Ethic Imbalance

Kana mumwe achipa 100% uye mumwe 50%, kunyangwe pakutanga zvichiita kunge zvakanaka, panosvika nguva zvinoputika.

Consistency inofanirwa kufanana kana pedyo.

 Communication Breakdown

Silent frustration ndiyo inouraya partnerships.

Kana vanhu vasingatauri zvavanonzwa nekukurumidza, zvinhu zvinoungana kusvika zvave emotional explosion.

Regular review meetings dzinobatsira kugadzirisa zvinhu zvisati zvava zvihombe.

 Hapana Legal Agreement

Vanhu vazhinji vanotanga vachiti:

“Tiri shamwari, hazvidi mapepa.”

Asi business haina manzwiro.

Partnership agreement inofanira kutsanangura:

Profit sharing

Decision-making power

Capital input

Exit strategy

Exit clause inonyanya kukosha kupfuura zvese — inodzivirira hushamwari kana zvinhu zvisina kufamba zvakanaka.

 Ego & Control

Ego ndiyo silent killer.

Kana munhu asingadi kugadzirisa, asingadi kubvuma kukanganisa, kana achida control yese, partnership inotanga kuoma.

Mutual respect ndiyo inofanirwa kutungamira.

There are very few platforms available for promoting entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe and ZBIN is one of them. We enjoy creating space for unknown entrepreneurs and our Premium Chats helps boost profiles of our members. Getting them known on the forum and beyond. ZBIN has a good number of deaf entrepreneurs and we bring you one of them, Netsai Kembo.

Below we cover her recent Premium Chat.

How I  started

In my hustling, cooking, and baking, I came across many people who were amazed that a deaf person can cook and bake nicely. So they became interested in learning from me….Initially, I lacked confidence as a person without hearing ….how I would interact with the hearing. But then I remembered my job….a deaf teacher who teaches both deaf and hearing students… So I mustered up boldness to teach people from all walks of life to cook and bake.

Building Confidence

To build confidence, I started teaching family and close friends….that helped me note some loopholes in my trainings and prepare for solutions. With the advent of Covid, we sat home doing nothing in the first lockdowns. Later people realised they could be productive in lockdown. So I took advantage of that ….and invited family and close friends….that helped me gain confidence to reach out to other people who wanted to learn cooking and baking.

Digital Marketing

I created, or rather founded a WhatsApp group Empowered Chefs where I would care for my students imomo…..their questions and answers…I also added any new interested persons who were in doubt that a deaf person can train cooking and baking to a maximum benefit of many….they watched posts from the group and many of my students were doing wonders….so the doubting Thomases became convinced and joined the trainings….teachers, police, medical personnel etc Did I lie….Not at all…..I don’t see gains in lies.

Professional background

Professionally, I am a secondary school teacher. I hold a Bachelor of Arts General Degree from UZ and a Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching Secondary School, from UZ again.

I teach at one school for the Deaf in Harare. Ironically the school introduced integration teaching (teaching a mix of Deaf and Hearing students together) and I found myself teaching both Deaf and Hearing students.This gave me some super powers that later benefitted me in my side hustling.

Wait and hear more on this….keep following

Initial Trainings

Initial trainings during lockdowns…..Pics coming…..hanging in network

I trained them, both male and female. Not one not two…..but many kkkkk

How the numbers quickly added up….

I took pics during training and posted on my status….

Also those I trained carried the word that kune mu Deaf arikudzidzisa vanhu cooking and baking….so the trickle continued quickly adding up to amount to over a hundred people..

Group Trainings

But hold….the people in the pics are not wearing their work badges like police, teacher, medicines and all…..NO….They are all wearing Kitchen work stuff…

I made it a point that munhu wese coming for training anopfeka white top and black skirt/trousers and flat shoes. I could identify my students coming for lessons while they were still a hundred metres away….I knew the dressing….I made it code. And the benefits….we all looked professional and into serious business that was.

Totem Cakes

Totem cakes….this particular one has a story…

Had an order for a Shumba cake…when about packing it for delivery I got a message for cake order for someone’s dad…the son was seeing to it to please their dad…so I kind of posted him the one shumba cake I was packaging, for Inspo….and he was like that’s my dad’s cake ….please deliver this one to us. I pointed out this one was for some other dad, and i was going for the delivery right away…he cried and said but that’s exactly my dad’s cake, he is a shumba.

I begged that iro muridzi waro akatomirira. So him too he begged to do the same shumba design for his dad and deliver it to them that same day….I noted time and told him that it would be late. He said time wouldn’t matter…apo he stays in Windsor Park Ruwa, ini Budiriro. He insisted that he wouldn’t get it anywhere but from me. I felt his please and sacrificed to make the 2nd Shumba cake and delivered it @CBD @2030Hrs of the day …what a client.

One of the businesses you could start up in Zimbabwe is that of buying and selling phones and accessories. A big market awaits and dominated by young men. One would need a physical space for selling them and then augment with digital marketing. A registered company helps to boost legitimacy in the long run. Of course typical of all businesses, do enough researches before plunging head on. Get insights from professionals already in the business. From ZBIN our official phones trader is Mudomeni and we will be bringing him to the Premium Chat in the coming weeks.

To help you appreciate the tricks of the game, we bring you comments from a recent discussion.

Smart Marasha: Market research ,the product ,durability, pricing system

Keith Mufarowashe Kachikira::There are 4 types of phones

1. Original

2. Refurb

3. Imitation

4. Fakes.

Ziva difference and why they are different ndo zvinhu zvino kupi kuti uno target sei ma customer ako. Otherwise ukaita zvekungonhonga unochema chete.

Justice Mungwini: Go do ka 1 month course ke phone diagnostics and repair first…

Raida Linda Jojo: Consistency and discipline

Progo Mhazi Simbiso: Masecond hand anopisaa

Ryan Salis: Keep it up bro munenge muchienda kuno hodha ku gulf complex or kwandiri inbox me for more information but unotenga data

Rememberance R Cheez Chikwasha: Wanza ma Itel

Andrew Antonio: 200 percent profit

Smart Marasha: Market research ,the product ,durability, pricing system

Prosmac Prosper:Usatora chimbadzu/chimbadzwa kutenga ma Accessories coz ukabhaiza order mamwe unomarasa asingatengwe n don’t just buy before market research unotorerwa midziyo mari yavekudiwa nevaridzi

Sheikh Ishe Anotida Nyakudya: Itahu shamwari ne police…… woziva zvino sanganikwa mukutenga nekutengasa ma phone

Simbarashe Kevin Nyamande: Swap n top wongwarira zvipadagu unodhurwa neyakabiwa

Edge Victor Scofield Zireva: Haaa rinopedza iro. Inini on my 13th year now zvinomborwadza hazvo bt we are pushing.Aunyure coz of technology, latest phones,ipads etc……

Trymore Tryazz: My advice:

Be Honest & Be True

Moses Gutu: Inga tiri kusaririra tichingoti zvakawandirwa

One of the biggest benefits of joining ZBIN is access to premium chats where we bring a lot of experts from the forum for presentations and sometimes trainings. We generally prefer inhouse expertise and this helps our members to know each other well and network. Our first Premium Chat of the year focused on equipping our members on Artificial Intelligence overview and testing basic tools.

We bring you the initial presentation minus the question and answers and the trials by members.

………..

Ntate Victor: Good evening esteemed Zbinites,

And it’s my pleasure to present to you our first host of the year, Silas.

And he has an interesting topic of AI.

Over to you Silas

Silas: Wonderful

I’m grateful there’s someone. So I decided to put this presentation in writing so that our fellow friends that could be busy at the moment won’t miss out.

Silas: Before I go any further. Let me start by introducing myself

My name Silas Takunda Chidlamakonho. I’m a certified drone pilot who have worked with different schools around the nation to educate students on drones, robotics, artificial intelligence and internet of things. I’m also a student currently studying aircraft engineering and I’m passionate about farming; Mmmm seems like a recipe for disaster right

Anyways today I’m excited to share on how AI can transform business operations and decision-making in today’s world and explore how we can leverage technology to drive growth and innovation, but before that we have to understand what is AI.

Silas: So what is AI or Artificial Intelligence?

AI, or Artificial Intelligence , is the field of creating computer systems that can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence.

In simple terms: AI is the making of machines that can think, learn, and make decisions as people do.

 Many people have bracketed AI into robots and self driving vehicles only but that’s not it, AI is a broad term.

Moving forward

Let’s just get a brief background of AI .

Artificial Intelligence began in the 1950s when scientists started exploring whether machines could simulate human intelligence. In 1956, the term *Artificial Intelligence* was officially coined by John McCarthy at the Dartmouth Conference, which is considered the birth of AI as a field.

During the 1960s–1970s, early AI focused on rule-based systems and symbolic reasoning, producing programs that could solve math problems or play simple games. Progress slowed in the 1970s–1980s due to limited computing power and unrealistic expectations, leading to periods known as AI winters.

In the 1990s–2000s, AI revived with better hardware, more data, and improved algorithms. Notable successes included IBM’s Deep Blue defeating chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1997.

From the 2010s onward, AI advanced rapidly due to machine learning, deep learning, and big data. Breakthroughs in image recognition, speech processing, and natural language understanding led to modern AI systems used in healthcare, finance, transportation, and everyday digital services.

Don’t worry much if you are not getting the jargon; stand still, all will be well after the presentation.

What can AI Achieve?

Now that he have a brief background of AI “Artificial Intelligence, let’s see what it can do.*

AI can:

1.Learn from data: recognize patterns and improve over time. For example Netflix, YouTube recommendations, haaaa does it ring a bell?

2. Understand language: speech recognition, translation, chat bots. Examples: Siri on iPhones etc.

3. See and interpret images: face recognition, medical scans.

4. Make decisions: recommendations, fraud detection, game playing. Examples: computer game players, grammar correctors etc.

5. Automate tasks: virtual assistants, robots, self-driving features.

 Now this AI is categorised into 3 categories.

1. Narrow AI

2. General AI

3. Super intelligent AI

 Of course due to diversity of knowledge, there could be more out there but today let’s focus on these 3.

Let’s start with *Narrow AI

This is the most common type of AI known by many and it’s designed for single specific tasks.

For example Chat bots, voice assistants, facial recognition and recommendation systems.

And this is where we feed on

 Let’s move forward, *General AI

Can perform any intellectual task a human can, it can reason, learn and adapt across domains. In this category that’s where we have the most humanoid robots like Diella, Albania first robot prime minister.

We are not going to talk of third category in this presentation because it’s deep stuff for giants.

Now, so most of us as public we operate on the first category “NARROW AI” and we want to see how we can equip ourselves on this, to rocket the growth of our businesses.

So I realised many of us we only know chatgbt as AI but there are many that can be used for different tasks and they can only perform best if they are used correctly.

For us to better understand and consumption of my package here. I have classified again type of NARROW AI and here are they.

1. Now let’s talk of these in their classes.

1. Writing & Content Creation

These help with drafting text, brainstorming ideas, creating marketing copy, and more:

ChatGPT (Free Tier) – Generate emails, proposals, product descriptions, and brainstorm business ideas.

Copy.ai – AI-assisted marketing copy, captions, blog intros, and sales text.

Grammarly – Checks grammar, improves tone, and enhances clarity in all business writing.

And the subscription costs for those that needs payments is mainly nothing compared to the reward they give.

 So now there’s a problem associated with these. We have to understand that these are machines, they need a clear description of what you really want for them to give the best result.

Are we still together

2. Design & Visual Content*

Tools to create or edit images, graphics, and visuals:

Did you know that a clear description of all those flyer, business cards and many more, these days designers use AI to create them?

A clear definition of a flyer, business card or a poster you want on canva can suprise your eyes with what will see.

So on this we have:

Canva AI – AI design assistant for social posts, flyers, presentations, and basic AI image generation.

Photoroom – Remove backgrounds and create professional product photos for e-commerce.

OpusClip / Pictory *AI* – Turn long videos into short clips suitable for social media.

They are available also for free, but for a better experience a subscribed member like you will get the best experience .

*4. Marketing & Social Media*

AI tools that help grow your audience and improve outreach:

Mailchimp AI (Free Plan) Create and optimize email campaigns with *AI* suggestions.

Wix ADI – Build a business website quickly using *AI* (design + content).

*Canva Magic Studio* – Smart templates and content resizing for multi-platform visuals.

**5.Customer Support & Automation*

*Add intelligent automation to your support channels* :

*Tidio AI Chatbot* (Free Tier) – AI chatbot for FAQs, bookings, and customer engagement.

*Durable AI Website Builder* – Quickly generate a website, including forms and contact automation (popular free option for business sites).

So there’s another one I left out for a reason

It’s called SUNO.

SUNO creates original, full songs with vocals and instrumentals from simple text prompts, allowing anyone to generate music by describing a genre, mood, or theme, or by providing their own lyrics, making music production accessible and fast for users of all skill levels.

In short we are saying.

Justa simple can text can be made into a song and today we are going to make one here maybe for this presentation describing how each and every one who was following felt about it

So for now because of our time I will open this time for questions.

One of the best performing sectors in Zimbabwe in 2025 was Construction. A lot of homes were constructed last year—new shopping malls, blocks of flats, gated communities and more. Even rural areas were not spared. This led to the temporary shortages of cement and resultant price increments. Timber ran out with some resorting to imports.

You needed to be in the value chain to benefit.

And one of the areas that recorded high profits is the hardware sector. Below we share unfiltered comments from a recent discussion covered on our Facebook Group and we hope you will be able to pick out a few nuggets. For full business plans—you are free to engage and we will assist.

The question was—Is it profitable to open a hardware, and what advice would you give to those interested in venturing into it?

Takunda Victor Mudhumo: Kana usingashandimo mushop yako tsvaga POS machine. Inokubatsira pastock tracking and taking zvese. Uriko kure ikoko unotoona kuti ah panzvimbo iyi panofaya product A or B. You can make refill orders usina kuvhunza mushandi kuti chakati chapera.

Make sure kuti ukuisa margin iri reasonable ukanyanya kudhura unopa competition mukana wekuuya ichikungwangura 2 mins. Dhura but not zvekuzoda kupfuma ne1 day. Ukanyanya kuchipa futi unovhara shop. Simple maths, cover your overhead costs and wosarawo ne a healthy profit.

Display yezvinhu zvako ngaivewo standard if not top notch. Kamurongedzero kema products ako ngakavewo attractive to the eye. Kwete kuti shop inoita kunge murank apa muchinhuwa futi mazimushonga.

At first be master of everything and narrow down as the market dictates. Ukati ini ndiri weElectric hardware wozadza shop nezvima sockets nemacables ah unoshamiswa vanhu vachizvisiya vachitenga havo thinners. So first days spread your items. And be patient huh iwewe usazodawo kudriver honda Vezel nefirst year. Ah maybe after 10 years kwete 12 months, dzikama.

Harry Nyakatonje: Open everyday including Saturday and Sunday, thats when people do DIY, thats when we realise the lawn needs trimming, trees cutting, pipes sealing , fixing blown sockets etc

Wisdom Tamuka Muzambi: Consider compliance and stock management and sales system in your business planning like how you are importing, your pos and stocktracking because eish ma1. Then usaite business pafoni, be the harder worker in that business, mukira kuseni seni vanokubatsira vanofanirwa kusvika uripo on most days

Takura Agostino Chatikobo: You will never go wrong with hardware as long as dzekumusha dzisina kukutevera and go for it.

Pilot Mutsamwira: Unofanira kuita ka course as time goes by ke stock management ne accounting

Papa Ngwasuma: Siyana nazvo uise Staright win pa Man U vs Asernal mari yacho

Shepherd Junior Mudondo: MuShop hamubudiwe budiwe unobhadharira vashandi rent

Charlie Richiez: Ingovhura.Zvizhinji unofunda wavemo

Carryon Funani: Be like online deal 24 hours that way you push your name kind

Walter Munyaka: Tsvaga nzvimbo ine vanhu varikuvaka kuma new stands unotora mari

Anesu Aneldo Chinyangare: Usanete

Nancy Zisengwe: Hardware you never go wrong. Unogona kungoita zvipikori chete. Kuunza 10cbm yezvipikiri chete lol I know a guy who started this pre-covid

Munacho Davison: Kana une US$5k ndibate in 3 months inenge yava 10k

Fadzai Faffie Tawananyasha: Mari yacho inoda discipline because umwe musi sei une stock ye 8k, unoita sale ye $30, saka kana uri munhu anofarisa pamari ma1

Sharmaine Mponda: Bho zvekuti asi wotoita zvose

Macbeth Masuku: Vhura urikunonoka

Tandiwe Matimba: Unotanga somewhere nepashoma pauinapo.

Clemence Smallz Mfunda: 5k zvichiendaa ndomushongaa

Al Takudzwa

1. Start today

2. Niche down

3. Pick a busy location

Shepherd Kohl Mashayamombe: US$10 000 zvichikwira starting capital

Tek Tek: You need to know the difference between stock replacement money and profit

Beloved Mufaro: If possible, mira padoor wega
Garikai Darlen: Wotera kudzimba dzevnhu uchiuraya zvawavatengesra kut vadzoke fast 
Mike Mureyani: Regai vakomana

Ba Seth Synclair: Rova gango (multiple lines

Tasunungurwa Dewah: It’s gonna be HARD IWE Just like the name

Hittie Magombedze: Advertise daily

Precious Mafema: Kunyanyotengesa zvinhu zvinenge zvichidiwa panguva iyoyo eg kwatava kuenda varimi vefodya vaakuuya maseeds efodya ( Kutsaga yr plug) mafertiliser compound C nemafloat trays zvimwe zvinenge zvirimo futi usawane mukana wekuti chakati hapana iva netwese asi focus mainly nezvinenge zvichidiwa nguva iyoyo

Sandra N Baru: Inobhadara

Andrew Antonio: Profit yega yega