Diaspora Matters

The latest post from Dr Strive Masiyiwa has generated a lot of debate amongst ZBIN followers especially on our popular Whatsapp Groups. We bring the post back by popular demand. It has a lot of truths in it and we can all learn from it especially on the need to protect business information. Mutumwa Mawere in 1997 once said ‘Do not publicly disclose a deal until its clinched up’

The Return of the #BuffaloHunter
__Shhh! Don’t be an amateur!

Many years ago I was on a flight, and sitting there I listened to two guys in front of me speaking in hushed tones. As I listened carefully, I realized they were from a competitor company discussing a very interesting opportunity that I had not heard about! Wow!

As soon as I got off the plane I did two things: First of all, I moved in quickly and took over that deal from right under their nose. To this day, they don’t know what happened! No regrets on my part, those were fools!

Second, I told my people, never, ever, open your mouth about what we are doing in public. Don’t discuss business issues whilst on the phone in public, and don’t sit next to each other on the plane or bus!

It never ceases to surprise me how careless people are about what they are doing. Some just do it to boast, and those ones I won’t talk about here! (We don’t have the boastful type on this platform.)

When I was a graduate student at university, one of my engineering professors asked me to help him on a criminal court case where he was an “expert witness.” We had to set up an experiment to demonstrate that a person who claimed to have overheard a confession could not possibly have heard it from where they were. It was a very technical sound engineering experiment at the time. Through that work I learnt not to say too much in public…!

Actually a good entrepreneur does not talk about what they are “planning to do” before the business reaches the customer. If you must, talk about what you have “already done.” Otherwise keep quiet.

This is a principle I try to use all the time. When you get into serious business, your competitors are constantly studying what you are saying or doing. It’s not just a question of being accidentally eavesdropped by the guy sitting behind or in front of you on a plane…

And don’t make the mistake of assuming certain people are harmless by observing the way they’re dressed, or even their age, or gender. You can make a deadly mistake through thinking someone is not important!

There are also detractors who, whilst not being an actual competitor, are consumed by what can best be described as a “spirit of jealousy” and will go out of their way to destroy or impede the work of others, even though there’s no gain for them. It’s part of life, so don’t give them the ammunition they need.

Some time ago, I wrote a series about how you protect your plans, and Intellectual Property (IP), including ideas and inventions. Go back to it, and study it carefully.

Even on this platform, please avoid giving details about what you are “planning” or “thinking” about, without taking adequate measures to protect it in the professional manner. Don’t send or publish business plans to people.

It is like leaving your wallet on a counter in a bar!

Our business forum obejectives are to enable members to have access to information and resources about business opportunities. We also help members to have access to capital and markets. We have done exceptionally well in the provision of information and resources to our members and followers. We however have not done much in terms of one of our objectives which is the promotion of business partnerships.

The initiative on partnerships helps to unlock value in cases where some of our members have thriving businesses but lack capital for expansion. Through the forum, we connect members with thriving or promising business ventures with those with capital.

We have previously shared with our members, a list of members with businesses who are seeking investors. Today we come back again and feature one of our members in detail. The member who is in the grain milling business provides us with details as below:

Two weeks ago we covered 6 areas where Zimbabweans are spending their monies on. The good thing is that after the publication of the article, OK Zimbabwe posted financial results which showed an 800% increment in profits when compared to the previous period. Dear reader, can you give us any sector in Zimbabwe which records an increase of 800%?

On our article  we covered the 6 areas where Zimbabweans are spending money on as:

1. Food
2. Education
3. Accomodation
4. Transport
5. Medical Aid and
6. Entertainment

Today we were at High Glen Shopping Centre in Harare and decided to check out opportunities at the once busy shopping mall. We decided to use the ‘6 area benchmark’ to see whether the 6 areas we mentioned indeed exist on the ground.

Results

The situation at this Old Mutual owned property is quite sad as most businesses have closed shop. We believe that 80% of businesses have left the shopping mall with high rentals being a major factor. Business is low and will remain low into the short to medium term. The only businesses that are operational are in the following sectors:

1. Retail: Choppies Supermarket

There is one major retail shop at the shopping mall which seems to be enjoying brisk business in the middle of gloom and doom at the centre which is characterised by empty shops. This is one of the main areas at the centre which is busy and does not show any signs of financial distress.

2. Retail: Delta Distribution Centre

The Delta Beverages Distribution is another centre where all seems to be going on well. There are always a lot of trucks queuing to buy soft and alcoholic drinks.

3. Medical Industry

Medical chambers were open; Pharmacies well stocked and Medical Laboratories owned by CIMAS were open. This area does not show any sign of distress and will open shop without distress in the short to medium term.

4. Financial Sector: Banks and Micro-finance Institutions

This is one area where we witnessed a lot of activity with many people queuing to withdraw cash especially at the ZB bank. The only microfinance institution open is Micro king.

5. Clothing Industry

Most shops that sell clothes have closed their doors and the only major shop that remains open is TOPICS and a few small boutiques.

6. Other: There is one pub open, one hardware, not more than 2 butcheries and a few small hair salons.

Most furniture shops closed shop, there is space for a retail shop which was previously occupied by TM Supermarket.

Potential at High Glen Shopping Centre

The catchement area of High Glen is huge and the catchment area includes Budiriro, Glenview, Mufakose, Glen Norah, Glenview, Kambuzuma and Highfields. These areas have a combined population of more than 200,000 residents and so there is no reason why this shopping centre  should be a white elephant!

The cross border bus stop is a welcome initiative that will help drive traffic to the centre. The centre has excellent parking space and the newly resurfaced tarmac shows that Old Mutual has big plans for the shopping mall. For anyone thinking of investment, there is need to draft a good business plan that has a 12 months planning horizon. The plan should consider rental as a huge cost driver which has to be settled in advance.

Sectors that provide opportunities include the 6 areas that we covered especially in the areas of medicine (consider a herbal shop), entertainment (soccer betting), micro finance lending, entertainment (video games for kids), Sports and Fitness (gym), transport-vehicle spare parts, and another promising business idea (this writer will pursue it).

So we confirmed the areas where Zimbos are presently spending their monies on. We confirmed this at High Glen Shopping Centre this morning. If you are planning on investment and your planning horizon is 24 months and less, then it is advisable to look at the 6 areas we covered in our survey. It is not all doom and gloom when it comes to investment in Zimbabwe-for some you may need to follow the money-where is it coming from, where is it being spend and where is it coming from?

We also hope that Old Mutual will have a relook at their rentals and take into consideration current prevailing conditions in the economy. It is really disheartening to see a lot of closed shops because this represents lost income, lost jobs and lost opportunities-the opportunity cost is extremely high! All stakeholders at the centre should work together to make the shopping centre attractive so that they can bring back the ‘zing’ to the shopping centre because it has great potential as demonstrated in the past.

Until recently, the Forex market was a closed market and trading activities were confined to the “big boys” like the banking sector, the multinationals and the hedge funds. However, with new technological advancement, small retail investors now have the opportunity to participate in this lucrative market as well with online Forex trading. So what is online Forex trading? Essentially online Forex trading is the trading of one currency for another through the use of the internet. The Forex market is actually the largest financial market in the world and it is an over the counter (OTC) market. This means that there is no centralized location like the New York Stock Exchange from which trading activities must take place. Because of this unique aspect of the Forex market, with online Forex trading, one can deal in Forex from any place in the world. In addition, with online Forex trading, it is possible to trade in Forex around the clock five days in a week without having to leave the house. Online Forex trading differs very much from the traditional method of transacting financial instruments in the sense that most trading activities are more or less self-service. With a properly equipped computer and internet access, a trader will be able to basically determine what to buy, when to buy and how much to buy with just a click of the mouse. In addition, the speed with which your orders are executed is almost instantaneous as you will be using a trading platform that is provided by the Forex brokerage firm. Apart from the above mentioned, there are also several other advantages with online Forex trading as compared to the traditional brick and mortar way of trading Forex. One of these other advantages is the lower transaction cost that you will incur with your online Forex trading. As online Forex trading is self-determined by the trader himself, the brokerage firm will be able do away with other higher cost services and just concentrate on “volume based” business strategy by lowering their cost to attract more business. And to help their clients determine what a good buy is charting tools are usually provided on the online trading platform for those who engage in online Forex trading. Once analysis of the Forex market is completed with the charting tools, an online Forex trader will also be able to program his market analysis into the trading platform and automate his transaction activities. It is for these few reasons that online Forex trading is now gaining popularity over the rest of financial activities that retail traders previously usually went for. Online Forex Trading Systems The most important part of a trading system is the stick to the rules and criteria that you put in place. There is no point in spending time and effort creating your system, to then be caught up in the moment and forget everything that you have planned.

Zimbabweans and Online Forex Trading

A lot of Zimbabweans are involved in Online Forex Trading and this has been facilitated by the availability of the internet at affordable rates. The major advantage is that one can deal in online forex trading from the comfort of their homes.

Online Forex Misconception

Most people are not aware of what is involved in online forex trading. The first thing that comes to mind is that online forex trading is Illegal or it involves the buying and selling of forex on the street the way it is done at Road Port in Harare. Not enough information is available to most people with some thinking that it is a Ponzi scheme similar to MMM which collapsed at the end of last year. What makes the situation worse is that there are few people or institutions that can teach Online Forex Trading in a simple way so that first time users can understand.

Who in Zimbabwe can trade online forex?

Traditionally the field has been reserved for finance professionals but with improvements in technology and accessibility of information now everyone can trade provided you obtain sufficient training. You just need to put in some effort in understanding the basics and get mentors and begin your process of trading. Over the last few years professionals with backgrounds in Engineering, Nursing, Teaching, Procurement etc have been participating in the online forex trading field. You just need to get the basics and apply your skills on demo accounts before going live.

How to study Online Forex Trading

Learning to trade online forex trading is expensive with fees ranging from $150-$300. The fees are usually high because trainees would have been equipped with life skills on income generation. Some have been known to resign from their work places inorder to participate on online forex trading. ZBIN is however not a profit making institution which is why we provide training at rock bottom fees or free. Our objective is to enable our members to have options when it comes money making ventures.

How much capital do you need?

You can fund your account with as little as $10 or $250 depending on the broker used. Brokers such as Hotforex allow deposits such as $10 and other brokers such as CM Trading allow a minimum of $250 to be deposited before one starts trading. As a forum we highly recommend Hotforex because of the $10 minimum capital injection required.

How do you withdraw Profits?

You can withdraw profits from your local bank and it is done through transfers, some brokers provide bank cards for withdrawing profits. People attending our training sessions have been able to see evidence of some who have traded and withdrawn profits.

The above picture shows profits and losses from one of our online forex trading members. The trading happened on Friday and our member made profits of $202.41. This was over trading on his part because he usually makes daily trading profits of between $20 and $30. Please note that the profits could have been losses too-no profits are guaranteed in online forex trading!

Learning from Others

New traders can learn on their own through reading material on the internet, videos on Youtube or popular sites such as www.babypips.com. However learning on your own takes a lot of time which is why it is recommended to get professional training. At ZBIN we have a platform for sharing of information, question and answer sessions and opportunities to meet other traders. We will track our initiative that is coming on the 1st of June and share with our members.

Last ZBIN Online Forex Training

The photo above shows some of the 20 members who received free online forex trading in Harare 2 weeks ago. This is the group whose results will be tracked by this forum. Most of them first time traders and coming from various professional backgrounds such as Nursing, Police, Engineering, Accounting, Procurement and Banking. Our follow up training which will be handson is scheduled for next week Friday from 3:00pm to 5:00pm.

Tomato production or Red Gold production as I like to call it is one of the most lucrative horticultural ventures that a small and upcoming farmer can venture into. Tomatoes fetch prices as high as 20 USD/crate at peak with the average small holder farmer delivering 100 to 800+ crates in a week that translates to reasonable income compared to all other horticultural crops.

1. Who can grow tomatoes?

Just like any other crop tomatoes are one of the most delicate crops that really require a lot of pampering and attention and therefore they require a dedicated individual in terms of time, skill, resources and passion once you have these you good to go.

2. How much skill do I need to grow tomatoes?

If you intend to grow tomatoes on a small or large scale one need to have a reasonable amount of skill and knowledge in order to run the venture as a profitable business. If you are to employ farm workers it is vital to employ workers who have experience growing tomatoes or better still have the workers trained before the season starts and at every vital growth stage of your crop by a professional Agronomist.

3. When is the best time to grow tomatoes

In Zimbabwe it is not recommended to grow this crop in frost prone areas as the plant is very susceptible to frost damage at times resulting in a100 % loss to the farmer. If you are in a frost prone areas it will be advisable to put up a green house to protect your crop or put up polythene barriers around your field in the direction of the prevailing wind, the latter will reduce the damage but not protect your crop. Most farmers in Zimbabwe are encouraged to plant their crop between August and January as most varieties will last between four and six months in the field being harvested again this depends on the area and variety. If your area is not prone to frost with proper planning you can harvest your crop well into winter June/July which is the time when some of the best prices are reached

4. Common challenges

Just like any other business you are bound to face certain challenges that are unique to tomatoes, Most common question is how do I control these bugs eating my tomatoes. Well, first one needs to be able to identify the pest as here are thousands of bugs that can attack your crop, which goes back to the issue of employing trained staff or receiving adequate training for yourself and your staff. Proper chemical handling , mixing and application is another challenge that farmers meet resulting in under application or over application of a chosen chemical resulting in chemical resistance by the pest emerging and poor yields.

5. Which varieties can I grow?

The variety of choice will depend upon a number of factors which include shelf life ,size, market preference etc. It is very important to ask before you purchase the seed about its qualities, disease resistance, pest resistance, shelf life etc. A good example is the Sakata Discol F1 variety it is a high yielding variety , with very big tomatoes with a good shelf life of up to 17 days post-harvest however this variety is prone to late and early blight as well as red spider mites which can adversely reduce the potential yield.

6. How much do I need to start up?

Careful planning is required when intending to grow tomatoes, How much one will need will depend on the proposed hecterage. It is important to note that with tomatoes you will have a waiting period of 4-6 months before harvest begins and during this time the crop will require a lot of prophylactic chemicals, fertilizers, and herbicides etc which are heavy on the pocket so before you put seed into the seed bed make sure you have the required financial resources. The upside of the story is that the returns in tomato production are tremendous for every dollar invested expect minimum 5 dollars in return.

Emmanuel D.N Dube is the senior agronomist at Agro Aid Trust, for your questions don’t hesitate to contact him on agroaidtrustzimbabwe@gmail.com / 0783 495 396

We are living in a world where temperatures are rising, water shortages are more frequent, food supplies are increasingly scarce and the gap between rich and poor is increasing. Populations are growing fast, making basic hygiene and sanitation even more of a challenge.

We can overcome these challenges and build a bright future for everyone, if we work together. But to do this, the world needs a plan. These Awards recognise 18 to 35 year olds who are putting ideas into action.

Why are we doing all this? We see a big opportunity: to support, inspire, reward and collaborate with a new generation of the world’s most brilliant young changemakers; innovators who are the future of sustainability. Imagine what we can achieve together.

We are looking for innovative and scalable technologies or initiatives that are contributing to one or more of these four categories:

Farm to Table

In this category, we are looking for inspiring entrepreneurs who are working on sustainable initiatives relating to food and drink production right through to consumption.

We are looking for entrepreneurs who can demonstrate innovation that not only protects the planet’s natural resources, but will help to transform our food systems, offering a long-term approach that can create value and enhanced livelihoods for farmers, and ensure security of supply for the long-term. Entries should ensure issues such as deforestation and land use, alongside social and community issues are managed responsibly. You may be working with smallholder farmers to improve their environmental practices across their supply chain, or helping them with social programmes such as access to education, community empowerment initiatives or encouraging young people into agriculture.

However, it’s not all about sustainable agriculture – we also want to hear from entrepreneurs who are working in the area of food and drink consumption and nutrition. You may be working to inspire and inform people about sustainable nutrition or helping them to make better choices. Perhaps you are creating food and drink products that support the long-term health of people and the planet.

Opportunities for Women

We are seeking initiatives that help to tackle the discrimination and disadvantages millions of women face around the world. You might be working to help provide access to skills and training for women, and creating opportunities for women to actively, safely and fairly participate in the economy.

Alternatively, you might be working on a micro-enterprise initiative to help women on low-incomes escape poverty. From Australia to Zimbabwe, if you are creating opportunities for women somewhere in the world, we want to hear from you!

Waste

Are there entrepreneurs out there with ingenious initiatives that help to tackle waste – to reduce, reuse or recycle waste throughout the pre-production, production and consumption lifecycle? Initiatives should demonstrate a clear business (financial), consumer (benefit), social and environmental case.

We are looking for initiatives across the waste spectrum – not just initiatives tackling packaging waste. For example, you could be developing an ingenious solution to reduce or rethink the choice of materials in production phase, or running a project that helps improve the livelihoods of people who are working in waste collection, or working on a recycling incentive scheme that is set to revolutionise the way a country tackles their waste issue, or an idea to reuse waste materials.

If it’s about tackling waste of any sort, we want to hear from you!

Water

Are you working on an initiative that tackles water scarcity, or one that addresses water pollution or sanitation and hygiene issues?

We are looking for solutions that conserve or reduce the amount of water used across communities, or during the extraction or cultivation of raw materials or through manufacturing processes. Perhaps you have an initiative that is helping people and organisations better manage access to water and adopt tools and behaviours which help them use less in the home or in a business?

Individuals in the developing world can be healthier—and communities more productive—if they have access to clean water and better sanitation. We are also seeking entrepreneurs with initiatives that address how to improve hygiene practices in any country, or offer an innovation to improve access to sanitation in remote areas.

https://youngentrepreneursawards.unilever.com/about-the-awards

The last time ZBIN tackled investment opportunities in our neighboring country, we covered Tourism Sector Opportunities. Today in the spirit of Africa Day, we look closely at this fast rising Southern African country. We look closely at opportunities in the Poultry Sector. The opportunities are not for foreign nationals to come in and set up poultry farms but to look closely at the whole poultry value chain and analyse opportunities presented by the sector. Opportunities range from the provision of equipment such as hatcheries, poultry feed, poultry expertise and poultry vaccines.

We have put below a video which shows the opportunities from Beautiful Zambia.

The Zimbabwe Business Ideas and Network is the top African business forum with a strong presence in India. We have more than 200 members from India who are part of us, some are on our Whatsapp platforms and are always sharing business ideas from India and looking for business partners in Africa. We are slowly establishing ourselves as a business gateway to Africa from India!

So today is Africa Day and is a National Holiday for many African countries as we celebrate the formation of the African Union (AU). Inorder to promote business the 2 continents of Africa and India we have decided to bring you information of e-commerce opportunities in South Africa and this information is primarily targeted at Indian nationals. The information is just basic statistics but can guide you in your analysis of the needs and gaps in this sector that provide opportunities for investment.

Statistics

Capital:    Pretoria Population: 51.7 million (2011)
GDP (USD): 350.63 billion (2013)
Currency:    South African rand (ZAR) Languages: English (business), others

Market Entry

Generally business to business (B2B) customers are also business to consumer customers, so relationships are generally the same. Both types of customers have become accustomed to performing consumer product research online. As a result, both are using either consumer websites or B2B versions of consumer websites to purchase products and services for their companies or in their capacity as   individuals

Popular E-Commerce Sites

•    takealot.com
•    amazon.com
•    bidorbuy.co.za
•    groupon.co.za
•    ebay.com
•    game.co.za
•    computicket.com
•    mrp.com
•    zando.co.za
•    picknpay.co.za
•    clicks.co.za
•    edgars.co.za
•    spar.co.za
•    woolworths.co.za

Digital Advertising

Studies have shown the effectiveness of digital ads that appear on mobile devices. South Africa currently boasts a mobile penetration rate of 135 percent, and as data prices and smartphone prices continue to drop, this platform will be at the forefront of digital advertising. Other traditional methods include the use of company banners that appear on popular social media, news, and e-commerce  sites.

Current Market Trends

•    45 percent of online shoppers are in Gauteng, one of South Africa’s nine   provinces.
•    9.23 percent ofshoppers have household income of over ZAR 70,000 per   month
•    73.7 percent of shoppers use e-commerce to make payments, pay utility bills, and transfer money at least once a  week.

Online Payment

Credit cards, cash cards, bank transfers, and PayPal are all used in South Africa. Special online shopping credit cards are the most frequently  used.

Social Media

•    Facebook
•    Twitter
•    Tumblr
•    LinkedIn
•    Pinterest
•    Instagram
•    Flickr
•    Google+
•    Badoo

Cross-Border E-Commerce

The South African consumer market tends to trust international retailers more than local business and uses them much more  frequently.

Mobile E–Commerce

38.51 percent of South African consumers use their mobiles for online   purchases.

Current Demand

Services

Books, airline tickets, hotel reservations, and event tickets are the service-related items most often purchased online.

Regulations and Initiatives

Commerce is regulated in South Africa by the Consumer Affairs  Committee.The committee sets out basic guidelines that require that suppliers (not users) of “cryptography” services or products register their names and addresses and the names of their products with a brief description in a register maintained by the Department of Communications. Unless the (local or foreign) supplier has registered, it cannot provide services or products in South  Africa.

Your favourite business forum has several initiatives for the benefit of members. At ZBIN we keep moving, scanning the environment and finding opportunities for our members. We are however careful not to mislead our members into joining ponzi schemes. We usually take our time to study and analyse schemes before encouraging our members and followers to join. This is why we are taking our time to study Bitcoin before we encourage you to join the scheme. We do not have sufficient information about it, we have no known case studies of people who have benefited so for this reason, we are taking time to analyse because people have every right to question every initiative especially after dubious schemes such as the  Sack Potato,Quail Birds and MMM schemes.

One of the schemes we are involved in and have studied in detail is Online Forex Trading. A legal genuine way of participating on the forex trading market which is worth more than a Trillion US Dollars. For more information about Online Forex Trading do visit www.babypips.com

Below we try and answer some of the questions from members

Explanation of the initiative

Members get basic free training online forex trading, they get an overview of online forex trading, they are provided with a few resources before they start trading.

Who can join our group?

So far we are not adding new people, we would like all the over 300 people in our group to be experts on trading. We would like them to show successful results of trading before rolling out more trainings to other members.

Is success guaranteed?

Online forex trading is not a get rich quick scheme, members get trained and they have to put an extra 80% effort on their own to be experts. We have found innovative ways of obtaining information that helps members to improve their trading and to date this has been successful. This is the model we will be using –a platform where members are trading on a small scale, sharing information of how trades are going with the hope of improvement

Online Forex Fraudsters

In Zimbabwe fraud is commonly perpetrated by Online Forex Trading Trainers! Trainers have been asking people to invest or entrust them with funds for investment promising huge returns. Unfortunately there are no guaranteed returns in online forex trading. Most of the trainers fled the country after failing to return funds invested.

As ZBIN our policy is that you trade on your own! We are always quick to kick out anyone promoting any Ponzi schemes or any other schemes apart from Online Forex Trading. We are always emphasising this because as a registered trust, the last thing we would like to do is to be involved in dodgy schemes.

When is the next training

The next training is on this Friday in Harare in the afternoon. It is a follow up to the initial training conducted 2 weeks ago. This time trainees will get hands on training at a café in Harare. This is our first official group that will be involved in our initiative of trading, members will be starting with very low amounts and getting confidence before funding their accounts with large amounts. As earlier explained, they trade on their own and checking within the community for any problems, sharing successes and failures.

When is the next window opening?

The cost of online forex trading training is very high with some trainers charging fees of $150-$250 for a full course or $15 per hour for different modules. ZBIN is therefore the only known institution that is doing it for free and we are hoping to successfully showcase success stories by end of June. We would like to show that we trained x number of people and they earned xy amount individually and collectively. Between now and end of June, we encourage folks interested in joining us to visit www.babypips.com where they can access a lot of resources before they join us.

We have great news for our members; your favourite business forum in Zimbabwe has appointed a Deputy Chief Executive Officer. We have appointed Makaita V Munzeiwa as ZBIN Deputy Chief Executive Officer with effect from 1 June 2017. She is an administration professional with over 10 years of experience gained in the Private and NGO sectors. She holds qualifications in journalism, intellectual Property Management and Patent Filing. She is passionate about women and youth empowerment and aims to start an Intellectual Consultancy firm in the near future. She is currently studying Communication Science with UNISA.

Makaita’s first priority is the setting up of a resource centre for the organisation and ensure that the organisation delivers high quality information and services to our more than 28,000 members and followers. We believe that with full time employees, ZBIN will be able to effectively deliver on our objectives of Information provision, enabling members to have access to markets, access to capital and the promotion of effective partnerships between locals and the diaspora community as well as locals and foreign nationals.

Makaita is married and has 2 children. She is an amateur culinary chef and enjoys live music concerts.

We wish her well in her new position.