Diaspora Matters

Your favourite small business forum has not been active in the past few months covering opportunities in the country. We would like to apologise as we have been busy with the compilation of an SA book for entrepreneurs. We are glad its now complete and will now focus on opportunities in the country and the region.

Despite the negative vibe economically, is it all gloom and doom for our members? Not really, there are pockets of investment which look promising and you need to carefully study and monitor them. We still remain hopeful that a political settlement is not far away. Economic developments will eventually lead to a negotiated settlement and when this happens, Zimbabwe will roar again like it did between 2009 and 2013.

Where are the pockets of opportunities?

1. Mining: Where is the most money in Zimbabwe? It is obviously in mining for well established companies and small scale mining. Opportunities abound in gold and chrome mining especially in areas such as Midlands, Mashonaland West and Mashonaland Central. New gold deposits are being found every month especially by small scale miners. The mining value chain includes inputs for the mining sector such as equipment and processing chemicals-huge gap with massive opportunities and selling of mineral outputs. Some enterprising Zimbabweans are involved precious minerals mining and trading in Mozambique.
2. Farming in Mozambique and Malawi: A Zimbabwean based in South Africa supplied Pick and Pay with mushrooms worth in 2018 and became the biggest local supplier of mushrooms with a R11 million worth of produce. A significant number of Zimbos are investing in agricultural activities in Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa. When our forum visited Tete we witnessed a white Zimbabwean with a flourishing piggery project along the Zambezi River. Some of our members are carrying out farming operations in Malawians that allow them access to lucrative European export markets. We also witnessed a Zimbabwean farmer who is growing Zimbabweans vegetables such as rape, tsunga and mutikiti in Durban and he is enjoying brisk business in the tourist city.
3. Agriculture: You do not necessarily need to own a farm in order to benefit from farming opportunities (Dr Strive Masiyiwa). There are a lot of mechanisation opportunities in the farming sector. Study how borehole companies are benefiting from sinking boreholes in urban areas and farming regions. To diasporans with free funds, the best opportunity is the export of tractors to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe needs more tractors and other farming mechanisation inputs.
4. Chinese Products Imports: Our country is going to rely on imports for a very long time. Consider buying Chinese products such as clothing, shoes, stationery, electrical appliances from China for resale to SADC countries such as Malawi, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Lesotho. Some time back on our forum we featured an interesting business model of entrepreneurs buying goods from Chinese Factory Shops in Joburg for sale in neighbouring countries. This model is responsible for half of the clothes now being sold in areas such as Harare, Gweru, Mutare and Bulawayo. Look for the write up on our Facebook or Whatsapp pages.
5. Public Transport Buses: Zimbabwe will continue to face fuel problems and the reason is simple-we just do not have enough foreign currency! The hiring of private buses by the government is a great initiative and we expect this model to be expanded in the coming months as a stop gap measure to alleviate transport problems.
6. Privatisation: The government has earmarked certain loss parastatals for privatisation. The process is going to take some time but we do expect a couple of parastatals to go under the hammer. Do not be left out of privatisation opportunities-great investment opportunity.
7. Chimoio Imports: Traffic from Zimbabwe to Chimio is on the increase with Zimbabweans sourcing goods such as second hand clothes bales and cellphones. Chimoio is now essentially the cellphone capital of Zimbabwe with cheap cellphones sold in bulk. An investment tour of the town is worthwhile. Some have found markets for Zim products such as mazoe drinks, cerelac, fruit and veges. Go to Roadport and watch closely products exported to Mozambique. 
8. Runner Opportunities: We mention once more that most of the new opportunities in Zimbabwe are import based. New opportunities are emerging for those who transport goods from foreign countries to Zimbabwe. Missing are reputable registered companies that transport goods for a fee. There are a lot of individuals involved in the malayitsha business operating on an individual basis. Visit areas such as Mbare and Machipisa and watch buses from Musina loaded with 99% goods and 1% passengers. Its not surprising to see a full bus with 4 passengers with the rest of the space filled with imported goods.
9. 4^th Industrialisation Opportunities: The 4^th industrialisation is upon us and those in the developing world can agree that there are new opportunities related to this area. In Zimbabwe its going to take a couple of years but early opportunities exist on the entertainment sector. Refer to our Facebook page for reference.
10. Bitcoin Mining: The Bitcoin came with a big bang and promised huge rewards for early adopters. The sharp rise in 2017 that saw its value shooting through the roof to a value of $20.000 was sweet news for investors. However it didn’t take long for the bull run to come to an abrupt end sending the value tumbling down. It is now trading at a value below $4.000 and  this has reduced interest amongst Zimbabweans. However there are opportunities in Bitcoin mining and we have covered this comprehensively on our forums.

Where to exercise caution

Avoid forex trading at all costs-it is producing no meaningful returns, instead the only people benefiting from its trade are trainers and forex brokers! Exercise caution before you consider this option-it’s the fastest way to lose money and thousands have learnt the hard way.

Avoid the partnership route when venturing into new business ventures you have little knowledge of. Being a first timer in any business is high risk, partnering with someone you have little knowledge of means you have multiplied your risks by 100%. A lot of fraudsters are using the partnership route to defraud first time entrepreneurs.

First time to start a business and rent commercial properties? In Zimbabwe the peak spending period is usually from September to December. Seasoned entrepreneurs usually close their operations during the non peak period and then chase them off their premises when the festive season approaches. Take this into consideration when venturing into businesses such a bottlestores and pubs, retail shops and clothing business. Kukama mombe wakabata ma binocular!

We wish you the best in 2019. To join some of our best forums in mining, agriculture, poultry and Mozambique do contact our admin Catherine Shava on +263776196313. Do not forget our business tour to Malawi coming in April.

The buzz around the future of work in South Africa has been around coding. Kids should focus on coding in order to be relevant in future. You see everything is being impacted by technology if you are not technology savvy then your future is in peril. However a recent conference challenged the coding notion. New super computers are being built which process complex data and solving complex problems in record time. So coding is likely to be replaced by computers very soon and possessing the coding skills is likely to be akin to possessing typewriting skills!

Rather visionaries are emphasising on the need for creative skills…ability to adapt to the technological landscape, more emphasis on soft skills such as leadership, relationship building and networking and above all…Resilence! They say resilience helped build Silicon Valley.

The major problem with new technology is that it does not stand on top of a mountain and shout  that we are coming. They don’t publish it in newspapers, set up billboards and television adverts. You will just quietly find it and in sometimes resist it but not for long.

Take for instance the accounting field, for most foreign companies or organisations-they now scan payment vouchers and upload it onto an accounting system. This means the future of manual auditors is in peril. Auditing will now be done by super computers at a fraction of the current audit costs and these computers do 100% audit sampling …so no more need for huge audit teams!

What is needed in future of accountants is financial analysis of data produced by computers. Analysing analysis data for decision making. So if you an accountant and the word Big Data is not featuring in your vocabulary then you are 20 years behind. If you are a lecturer and data analysis is not in your notes then you are very behind…you need to catch up.

So our kids need to take an interest in technological developments across the globe, the latest developments in Silicon Valley, closer home, tech news from SA, Kenya and Rwanda.

Following Tech News is Future 101

The second one is getting certification in the latest technological qualifications. Cyber security is a key theme as most transactions have shifted online. Graphic designing is changing the future of advertising, Digital marketing is a must have skills for marketers and entrepreneurs. Should we mention Big Data again?

Follow the content of MBA syllabuses from leading international colleges. What is it they are including but local colleges do not? A look at the Chartered Institute of Management Accounting shows a great deal of tech courses for qualified members doing professional development learning….technology is shaping all the new courses.

Getting Professional Certification is Future 102

If your under graduate degree or post graduate degree is not aligned to the future needs of relevant skills then its obsolete. New technology is cruel….extremely cruel. Think of PTC and its phone booths which were popular in the 90s….there were technicians working on them right? I remember they were some of the highest paid professionals in the country back then. If phone servicing was your only skill….then you should have been hit when the mobile network technology took over.

Appreciating the impact of technology in your industry or profession is Future 103

Long articles are boring, the average attention span is now down to 9 seconds. Now here is something interesting. New technology has a extremely short life span. Do u remember your first phone? How many versions of the phone have you witnessed? Do u remember the coming of automated teller machines in the 90s? They replaced bank tellers with IT professionals who monitored the ATMs network but right now mobile money has disrupted the ATM industry and we need 4-5 years before another new technology disrupts the mobile money industry. Ever heard of crypto currencies?

Understanding that life spans of new technology is very short is Future 104

Did you follow the electoral Constitutional Court challenge last August? The whole case was based on technology…it was a data centred court process and be default technology based. Contesting parties had to hire data scientists from Kenya because it’s a skill in shortage in the country. Our lawyers also do not have the skill….statistics and big data not covered at the law school! So our lawyers need to go back to school and be relevant or they will be saying the pith and fulcrum to no effect.

We need to continuously study and equip ourselves with latest technological skills to be competitive. An auditor with no cyber security and data analysis skills is going to be ineffective in his or her duties. A medical doctor too, teacher too…marketer, entrepreneur etc.

Now you do not often find such simplified document but very helpful post coming free of charge. Its usually reserved for conferences not attended by many. So count yourself lucky, print the document and share with your colleagues and more importantly your kids!

You need this document for career guidance. If your kid says I want to be this or that…not bad but let them appreciate the future technological trends, let them follow tech news,  let them predict what is coming next and emphasise on key skills.

Coding is still fine it helps us appreciate that the future is engineering and ICT however it’s the soft skills that matter most. Analysis skills, ability to adapt-resilience and networking. We are fighting with computers and robots which are taking over traditional roles such as manual processing, vehicle driving, bookkeeping, lawyers, store keeping, bank tellers, receptionist, nursing, teaching and auditing.

For entrepreneurs, the future is extremely bright as new industrial revolutions are bringing new opportunities. Adapt and grab them or someone else will…

It is a Monday morning and traffic is heavy in Johannesburg. Our team is in the city for a tour of Chinese Factory Shops analysing the various goods sold by Chinese entrepreneurs. Our first stop is the China Mall in downtown Joburg. Its a busy centre with hundreds of shoppers trying out or buy various goods for resale.

On offer are various electrical appliances, clothes, hair products, shoes, handbags, plastic chairs and umbrellas. The most popular and fast moving goods are clothes bought for resale by South Africans travelling from as far as East London, Port Elizabeth, Mbombela and Polokwane. Foreign immigrants are also mixing and mingling in the crowded place ordering shoes, clothes and handbags. Zimbabweans, Tswanas, Mozambicans, Malawians, Swazis are also in the mix with trolleys full of goods which are bought strictly on cash.

Welcome to Chinese Factory Shops where goods are imported into South Africa from one of the biggest trading partners of South Africa-China! In 2017 South Africa imported goods worth $12.8 Billion from China making it the top import country for the rainbow nation. The trend of imports from the vast country continues with no other country threatening its pole position.

Evidence of the imports is best illustrated by the factory shops owned by thousands of Chinese entrepreneurs who ship thousands of containers of goods every month. They have the largest presence in the commercial city of Mzantsi and we were there to witness what exactly happens at these shops.

We visited more than 5 Chinese shopping centres and were impressed by how China is helping the growth of entrepreneurship in the region. They have huge discounts for clients buying in bulk (usually in boxes). Shoes cost from as little as R70 and resold from R150 and above in South Africa and more mark ups added for neighbouring countries. Dresses have price tags of R80-R120 and being resold after adding mark ups of 60% and above.

We observed interesting business models of entrepreneurs taking photos of dresses and shoes, adding a mark up and sending the photos to clients and asking them if they are interested. Positive confirmations resulted in deals being sealed with goods being purchased per order. What an efficient way to conduct business-buy goods with a ready market!

Some entrepreneurs live in Joburg and conduct deals with with clients in the country and neighbouring countries. After purchase the goods are send to clients and for neighboruing countries, they are send by bus with clients collecting them the following morning.

The big question we asked is whether its viable to buy goods from China buying airplane tickets and adding accomodation costs…or its better to simply buy from South African Chinese Shops?

This is the question we tackled in our latest book ‘Business Opportunities for South Africans’.

Our forum has fallen in love with Malawi having conducted several entrepreneurship trainings in the Warm Heart of Africa. We are now a brand name in the country being known for delivering value for money entrepreneurship programmes. Through interactions with Malawian citizens, we have managed to observe opportunities on the ground which our members can tap into.

Why Malawi?

It has a fast growing middle income class

It’s the most hospitable country in Africa

Entrepreneurship is picking up in the country

Affordable cost of living

Hard working citizens

Which opportunities can you find in Malawi?

1.Fabrics-visit Roadport and check out fabric materials being transported to Malawi everyday
2. Fruits-buy from SA fruits like oranges and apples and sell in Malawi
3. Clothing-buy from China and sell in Malawi (Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu and Zomba)
4. Arts and crafts-train how to make hats, carpets or bags
5. Supply art and crafts supplies- carpet underlay from Harare or Home builders Warehouse in SA
6. Set up a maputi or freezit making business or distributor

7. Set up a fruit juice small plant (Plenty of fruits such as mangoes and tomatoes but not much oranges and apples
8. Start a poultry project (Some entrepreneurial minded Zimbos are farming crops for sale to EU markets)
9. White South African and Zimbabwean investors are investing along the shores of Lake Malawi.

What can you buy from Malawi?
1. Kilombero(Malawi Rice) Buy it for $20-$25 in Lilongwe per 50kg and sell it at US$3/kg in Harare, Joburg or Gaberone. There is unlimited potential for the rice.
2. Agriculture produce (Nyimo, Soya beans, Groundnuts and more)

3. Shoes (Check out with Trip trans bus-everyday it brings shoes and other products imported from a Chinese factory located in Limbe Industrial Sites)
4. Fruit Juices (Unexplored market where they cost 40 cents but resale value in Zim $2 and above)

Transport
It costs $25 to travel to Blantyre, buses found at Roadport and leave at 7:00am everyday
You leave at 7:00am and arrive in Blantyre at 6:00pm
Buses leave Blantyre everyday at 6:30am and arrive in Harare at 7:00pm
Taxi cabs in Blantyre cost roughly $5. Accomodation  ranges from $15 per night for the cheapest lodges up to $100 if you prefer better accommodation at hotels.
Accomodation in Blantyre cost approximately $30 per day but in Lilongwe it can be $40-$130
Buses from Blantyre to Lilongwe leave at 7:00pm everyday and cost $10 per trip.

*Get a yellow card if you have travelled to the developed world or Tanzania, Zambia or Angola. Follow instructions from bus conductors. Many first time travellers forget this important advice and find themselves in trouble!

Take note
For Kilombero rice, you need permits for transport and they generally cost $5-$10 
Malawi Immigration authorities search every bag, sometimes even purses.

Immigration officials at Nyamapanda have 2 sniffer dogs which check every bag coming into Zimbabwe, so do not be involved in drug trafficking.

Avoid changing money at borders, you can buy fake notes. Bus conductors will advise you on the best strategy for changing your money from USD to Kwacha or vice versa

Our forum is in the process of arranging a tour to Malawi and we will advise you of the dates.

Enjoy business in Malawi

We have excellent news for South African Entrepreneurs as we have produced probably the best resource book for entrepreneurs in South Africa. The book titled Business Opportunities for South Africans and is based on business opportunities and building of solid relationships in order to create sustainable business models.

What makes the book unique is that its based on various researches plus the experiences of over 1000 entrepreneurs. We have captured the experiences of entrepreneurs who are struggling in business, some assisting others in various aspects of business. We have included several success stories that will inspire those already in business or contemplating plunging into the treacherous entrepreneurship waters. Every chapter includes experiences and resources for entrepreneurs making it a great addition to the South African Entrepreneurship landscape. The book includes researches from trainings we have conducted in 9 provinces of South Africa and brings new insights and analysis to help inspire entrepreneurs across the Rainbow Nation. It will be available from the 14th of February 2019.

The book contains 13 chapters namely;

Chapter One: Proudly African

Chapter Two: Getting Started

Chapter Three: Fund Raising in South Africa

Chapter Four: Introduction to Digital Marketing

Chapter Five: Investment Resources and Options

Chapter Six: Mzantsi Entrepreneurs

Chapter Seven: Tourism Opportunities

Chapter Eight: Agriculture Opportunities

Chapter Nine: The Black Business Challenge

Chapter Ten: Youth Opportunities

Chapter Eleven: Women Entrepreneurs

Chapter Twelve: Risk Management

Chapter Thirteen: Soft Skills for Entrepreneurs

Congratulations to all students who have done well in their A level exams. What next after A level? We cover the advice we have given to one of our members.

Career Guidance: From Inbox
Good day people A level results of my young brother Maths A Chemistry B, Physics D,what is the best program that he can study,and please if they are any scholarship that can assist him please help inbox

Response
Congrats to the young brother for doing well at A level. With 11 points its however a challenge to land scholarships. You can do more searches on the internet..check government websites and university websites for more information. Be careful of scammers especially those who ask you for funds upfront to process scholarships.

Local Options
The science world is ruling the world! Other fields are watching in disbelief as scientists take over everything! Lawyers are being disrupted by E-Law…Teaching by E-Education…The journalism school is counting losses from Social Media. Bankers are in trouble from E-Banking…In advanced countries they are even replacing humans with robots! In Japan they now have receptionists who are robots…

What are the driving factors?
The world moving at a faster pace…
Competition is stiff and if you dont innovate, you die.
Innovation in most cases means new technology…
Technology means…science subjects!
Technology is replacing traditional jobs…so more job losses.
Even in business, tech startups replacing traditional business power houses such as agriculture, oil and mining.
Agriculture is going tech…Technology is even replacing currencies through Bitcoins…very naughty!
Technology is accelerating globalisation. A company in Zim when sourcing products is now considering buying from China…we saw this during the election period…some had their campaign material sourced from China coz it was cheaper!

Technology is accelerating globalisation. A company in Zim when sourcing products is now considering buying from China…we saw this during the election period…some had their campaign material sourced from China coz it was cheaper!

What technological trends are shaping the future? They will impact the business landscape and rendering most fields obsolete…

He can go to local colleges and get degrees in medicine, engineering etc but local colleges are not moving fast enough in tandem with the rate of technological developments. So he needs to boost his employability chances by enrolling for foreign qualifications. Jobs may not be available by the time he graduates …so beef this up with entrepreneurship to give him more options.

So your starting point is understanding the direction the world is going and the skills that will be needed. The future is not in knowing obsolete technology like type writers. Research what else top colleges like Havard and Oxford are teaching and compare with local colleges and then plug the gap if one is to attend local colleges.

Hope this helps

So we found ourselves making one of our longest trips to Windhoek a week before 2018 Christmas, how did it go? Awesome -learnt a lot from the trip and we believe our 2019 book edition on opportunities will be richer.

Traffic between Zimbabwe and Namibia
Traffic is lower than Zambia-Zimbabwe, Mozambique-Zimbabwe and SA-Zimbabwe but higher  than Bots-Zim.
Traffic is mostly for Zimbos travelling to Namibia for holiday and business purposes.
Traffic from Namibia made up of Namibians going for holiday to Vic Falls, Namibians attending church seminars, Namibians going to college in Gweru and Bulawayo. Religion tourism tops the list with PHD and a pastor called Ndlovu with a leading branch network in Namibia.

Zimbos in Namibia
Mostly professionals who emigrated in the last decade working in government departments and the private sector. Of late the number of Zimbos heading to Namibia has been on a low side due to  recession in the country-no new work permit renewals for foreigners.

Zimbopreneurs

 Most street vendors in Namibia are from Zimbabwe. They work hard to bring products to  Namibia for sale. Some from SA, Zambia, China, Turkey and Dubai. There is an interesting trend of  Zimbos who source goods from Namibia and load them onto buses and resell them in Angola! We witnessed this in Lesotho…Zimbos buying goods from SA and selling them in Maseru, Mafeteng and other places in Lesotho. This is a special breed of cross borders…beautiful model that protects /hedges one from currency volatilities.

Our entrepreneurship skills on the good side are helping to empower locals to also venture into cross border business especially imports from China and Middle East. On a bad side…we are littering foreign streets. Credit goes to our comrades from Namibia, they have created room for Zimbos to thrive …one wonders what the situation would have been if thousands of Zimbos had not been given space to operate and thrive on foreign soil?

Namibia Economy
The Namibian Dollar is pegged 1:1 to the SA Rand and during the week we were there we witnessed a strike by  pharmacy assistants who graduated in 2017 and 2018 have not secured jobs. Student leaders were threatening strike action after a 5% across the board tuition fee increment. There is pressure for government to reduce the wage bill for the 100 000 strong civil service.

Stats
Its costs on average US$100 to travel to Namibia and you can get buses from Roadport, Intercape. Buses available on Tuesday evening and Thursday evening. Other kombis are also available near Roadport. You can also choose AirNamibia with return tickets ranging from $260-$300. Interestingly AirNamibia posted losses …looks like the air industry is a difficult field for AirZim,Air Namibia and SAA.

The cost of accommodation ranges from US$30 to US$150 per night. Monthly rentals N$4.000 to N$10.000.

Namibia can be termed a mini South Africa due to many SA companies with a presence there. It however ranks higher than SA as it is more peaceful, clean and friendly.

Business Opportunities
Diasporans: Thinking of returning back after retirement? Namibia is a stable country for investment. The weather is great, low crime rates, stable economy and easy access to the region.

Arts and Crafts: Tourism is booming across the region and Namibia is not spared. Our arts and crafts already enjoy a good brand and dominates the landscape. Think in terms of buying and selling in bulk and also setting up schools and colleges for teaching.

Level 11 Cross Borders: Study imports into Namibia and then find how you can also participate in the importation. Do not forget cross borders who buy from China and Middle Est and bring the products for sale in Namibia. Study Zimbos and Namibians who buy goods from Nambia and export them to Angola..open new markets.

What can you buy for resale? Prices similar to RSA although distance can be a deterrent. Witnessed building materials such as paint being purchased. Business opportunities for vehicle transportation especially vehicle imports from UK and USA.

Our business
Connecting SADC entrepreneurs; We have achieved our objective of connecting SADC entrepreneurs from Lesotho, South Africa, Malawi, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Our country is highly regarded in business circles due to hard work, integrity and innovation .Our objective of connecting regional entrepreneurs well on course. We trained them, inspired them, heard their stories and shared our experiences.

We are helping to set up various start-ups with entrepreneurs connected through e-platforms and sharing opportunity stories. We have done exceptionally well…been well received and we will start to profile stories of our successful graduates and members. The future is bright if Africans learn to work together and sharing information on opportunities.

Social Media in Zimbabwe is buzzing with a story of a young man who proposed marriage to his fiancee at an unusual place, Chicken Inn. The initial reaction has been to berate the young man for proposing at a place considered cheap.

The story ends with many people coming out in full support of the couple with many sponsorship deals for the couple. Our forum would also like to join the scramble for sponsorship of this couple and we are offering the following to them:

1. Free 2019 ZBIN membership to ZBIN that allows them access to well researched articles, business plans and discounted trainings.
2. Free 2019 Business Opportunities Book for Zimbabweans that carries a lot of entrepreneurship resources and includes a chapter for young people.The book is valued at $30.
3. Free 2019 Business Opportunities Book for South Africans which has tonnes of resources on entrepreneurship resources and markets in South Africa and the region.The book is valued at $30.
4. Free Digital Marketing Book for Zimbabweans plus a free Digital Marketing Training.
5. Free Hat making course worth US$100 for the young lady.

If you know this couple kindly app our admin on +263774081808

The year is coming to an end and for most Malawians, business has been good.Malawi is slowly rising with new opportunities emerging in the Warm Heart of Africa. We have conducted several entrepreneurship trainings in Lilongwe and Blantyre giving us an opportunity to discuss business opportunities and below we list the top 10 opportunities to look forward in 2019.

1. Agro-processing
2. Real Estate
3. Auto-parts
4. Kilombero Regional Markets
5. ICT
6. Tourism
7. Sourcing goods from China
8. Alternative Energy
9. Hat making
10. Network Marketing opportunities

Agro-processing: Perhaps the biggest opportunity for Malawians. The country is expected to experience another great farming season but there are few people involved in processing raw agricultural products in order to produce processed oil, soap, cool drinks, fruit juices and icecream on a smaller scale. We encourage Malawian Nationals to visit Zim and assess our small scale agro-processing industry especially the machines available.

Real Estate: There is a real estate boom in Malawi. A lot of new suburbs are coming up with most of the opportunities grabbed by a few. We witnessed areas in Lilongwe which have developed in record speed. A lot of new commercial buildings coming up. Some peri-urban areas are being incorporated into urban areas.

Auto-parts: Have you witnessed the massive influx in Ex Japanese cars? Who is servicing these cars? Who is providing service kits? The number of cars is expected to continue to rise and creating opportunities for car service providers.

Kilombero Rice: There is a huge appetite for Malawi Rice across the region! Massive potential for innovative entrepreneurs who can push volumes beyond Malawi. Unbelievable interest in Zimbabwe and South Africa-sadly Malawians can only push less than 1% of the volumes required.

The ICT field is fast growing in the beautiful country creating opportunities for young entrepreneurs interested in selling ICT gadgets and services. The source of products is RSA and China.

Tourism has been on an upward trajectory over the past years. There is massive potential on tour packages, accomodation and other support services. Have you seen the number of new lodges being set up along Lake Malawi Shores? You need to carefully study the new developments along the lake and join too.

It looks promising in 2019 for Malawi and do not be left out of new opportunities. Our organisation has also been shaping the entrepreneurial landscape with a number of trainings on carpets and hat making. We return in 2019 with more trainings and researches.

A good number of entrepreneurs are visiting China in order to buy custom made goods and the book by Siku Nkhoma has helped many in the sourcing of goods online from China. The energy deficit is supposed to increase due to urbanisation and growth in the economy-so great opportunity for entrepreneurs interested in providing solar products and invertors.

So look around you, check trends, visit other countries, read entrepreneurship books and take advantage of opportunities in your country and beyond.

Despite the difficult operating environment, a number of service providers are providing excellent client service in Zimbabwe. Our forum conducted a survey of the 10 Best Service Providers in the country and the following companies came out top.

1. Nyaradzo Funeral Services.
2. ZOL
3. Telecel
4. TelOne.
5. Steward Bank
6. City of Bulawayo
7. ZESA
8. FBC Whatsapp platform
9. Nyamapanda Border Post
10. Safeguard Security

We would like to congratulate the above companies for a job well done in 2018. The following companies have room for improvement in 2019.

1. Econet customer call centre
2. VID
3. Multichoice
4. Passport Office
5. City of Harare
6. Air Zimbabwe
7. POSB
8. Chicken Inn
9. Barclays Bank
10. Ok Mbuya Nehanda branch