Diaspora Matters

By Alyssa Gregory

So I have been looking at a number of dubious money making schemes that have been brought to our shores over the last 20 years. The first one should be the Jatropha Project where various communities across the country were given free Jatropha Plants with the promise of the wonder tree bringing huge financial benefits to them. Communities were promised heaven on earth with the project expected to produce Jatropha soaps, fuels and a host of other by products which could be sold for a profit.

More than 10 years later no one is talking about this project that once took Zim by storm. Where we taken for a ride? Iam not able to authoritatively answer this one as more research is needed on the subject.

Anyway the purpose of this article is not to review the Jatropha Project; the purpose here is to review some of the dubious business schemes that have landed on our soil from foreign land. The Jatropha is the first one, the second and biggest of them all is the Sack Potato Production that took place in 2013.

So what transpired in the project? Gentle reader, a certain sister returned home from UK and started planting potatoes at the back of her home. She brought new ways of potato production-growing them in sacks as commonly done in UK. Her project ‘became a success’ – a huge success such that it went viral. Everyone started talking about the success of this project, she became a celebrity overnight. Newspapers gave her interviews, radios and television stations followed suit.

The biggest money making project in the country became Sack Potato Farming! Most farmers started inquiring about this project and a number of them purchased sacks and began producing potatoes in this unconventional way. A number of agricultural consultancies cropped up to support sack potato production, some Agriculture Scientists even endorsed the new project as the best way to farm potatoes.

So far I have been talking about others how about my own experience? Dear reader, I too encouraged some of my relatives to take advantage of this unorthodox way of farming potatoes. I had seen on tv a successful project, I had read in the press about a tried and tested method of growing potatoes.

So what happened to this thriving project?  Many people who had invested in the sack potatoes did not reap any meaningful rewards. A lot of farmers reported losses, heavy losses from this project and it did not take long for most farmers to realise that they had been taken for a ride. This was a dubious scheme-we are all taken for a ride!

The potato seeds did not grow as advertised, poor yields were encountered…takabatwa kumeso masikati machena! Ngei pakashaikwa kana mumwe  zvake akavhunza kuti ivhu nemawandiro arakaita aya munyika, imwi hino mugosiya mondoisa mavhu musaki lol

After the collapse of the sack potato project another one with a similar ending landed on Zim soil and it’s the famous Quail, Chihuta Craze! Lets tackle this one next week and establish what happened.

Good morning forum members, today we talk to one of Zimbabwe’s Best Events Management Planner, Ms Memory Mandishona. She is a ZBIN member and is part of various ZBIN WhatsApp platforms such as Baking and Harare Business Group.

Tell the community about yourself

My name is Memory Mandishona aged 30 years, born and raised in Harare,Zimbabwe, from Murewa Chikwaka village, Totem Achihoro Nhari unendoro Nyamasvisva. A travel consultant and events planner by profession. Iam outgoing, self-motivated and have a proactive approach to work, and enjoy working as an event organiser. Passion in this industry has helped me achieve my dreams of running and establishing my own events and catering company. Iam also into the food business industry where I concentrate on baking and cooking.

History behind the name of your company and how long have you have been in the industry?

I named the company ‘Dora’s All Occasions’ after my mother who is my mentor and pillar of strength and established it in 2014.

Do you have employees?

I have a team of about 5 employees and they are on contract basis as functions are not always running during the year. My work includes research on venues, suppliers and contractors, and negotiating prices.

What do you enjoy most about your field?

I am passionate about my job and am always challenged to learn more every time, I like work hard managing my own team using my skills and creativity. It is a joy and a blessing to work with a talented team of professionals. Delivering a successful project brings immense joy and satisfaction to my team.

Your biggest project

My biggest project to date was when I was asked to plan and offer my services for the Botswana Embassy which was a success. This initial project opened more doors for us as referrals are very important in this industry.

Industry Challenges

There is no room for error in this industry; you have to be an expert at planning as clients do not tolerate excuses. You have to deliver high quality services which meet customer requirements. One simple mistake can set your planning back days, maybe even weeks and in this industry reputation counts-your reputation is your biggest asset!

The whole point of planning any type of event is to provide an unforgettable experience for your guests. Whether it’s an amazing and productive training session for employees, a wonderful birthday or anniversary party, or even a more casual gathering for a group of friends, a memorable event should be at the forefront of your planning efforts Food is a very sensitive aspect and one has to know the type of guests, the food they are interested in and issues such as availability and cost.

 Opportunities

The greatest opportunities are you get the chance to network and interact with different people and most clients come from these interactions. A happy client means a happy event manager—which is why every professional relationship in the event planning business starts with a planner-client meeting.

Expansion Plans

I have plans to invest in other African countries and also cover other cities apart from Harare. I also intend to carry out webinar training for some of my clients who are outside Harare.

Festive Holiday Plans

Our busiest period of the year, so we are currently busy with a lot of events such as company end of year parties, weddings, graduation parties etc

Contact Details

Like my page https://www.facebook.com/Doras-all-occasions-catering-1491830011105882/?ref=bookmarks .

Contact me on +263718804243, +263775927479 and +2634573151

Good Morning everyone, We are inviting everyone who is into baking  cakes for sale to kindly register their details here. We are creating one central register of cakes for sale in Zimbabwe where those interested in buying cakes for sale can come.

So if you bake cakes for sale and would like to be promoted for free then register the following details below.

Name :

Contact Number:

Location:

Facebook Page:

Good Evening Investors: From the Inbox :Hi Iam planning to have a small bakery in one of the rural areas  around Harare, can this be a break through business considering the role of big players like Lobels and Bakers Inn in the game.

Forum Responses

Amos Chimwani Yah u will make money but it just depends on how u plan to do your stuff considering kuti the dollar a loaf is overpriced .You can just make fresh bread for half the price, focus on pushing volumes, enter new towns coz the other thing bout business is creating a good customer base, quality product and right pricing

Amos Chimwani And also the other thing get into farming so as to cut the costs of sourcing your stuff elsewhere like floor.just try to be the one  who provides the raw materials than the secondary stuff elsewhere

Francis Mguni Madhlala Its a good idea haumbonyuri wena unotangira pasi zvinoita wena

George Nyawo Armed with a proper market research, quality product, right pricing and customer care strategies you will definitely make it.

Petro Mawire Zvidzayi Great idea buda, have been planning to tackle the same project as well.

Shyreen Muringai bakery has been a good business do your calculation very well and thorough market research zvataurwa nevamwe uko zvinoita wena.

Anesuishe Chiwaya I like the idea that you already have a nice market, the likes of Lobels and proton wont be a heavy burden to your business if you play your game very well. Try not to produce bread only, supply a number of different bakery products. Be strict on the quality of your products and make connections with some shop owners around the area and make deals to supply them with bakery products that way you make sure of a steady cash income and a continued operation. All the best pal

Francis Munangwa In a country with an industry capacity utilization of below thirty percent all business ideas can be good ideas. The weight of a person is not significant on its own; it is only significant when a comparison is made with his weight, height, sex etc. It is how you’re going to do it which is important. Do you have something new which you have, are you focusing on people or money, do you have the passion etc. Rainbow Beverages, then led by Brian Mutandiro entered the beverages sector which was heavily dominated by Delta. They had a good product, Mr Juicy, which became a threat to Delta’s dominance. Delta destroys this brand in a manner which to me was economic sabotage; they bought it and discontinued production. The bigger players can be ruthless. You should also do a proper research as bread production has moved from small bakeries to big bakeries because of economies of scale. Bakers Inn has centralized production and this reduces the production cost. The most important thing is you need to understand that business advice is not a hobby, quality advice is offered for a fee as there is no fit all advice. We can all advise you to try it because we have nothing to lose. Everyone wants to be viewed as positive but personally I’m not comfortable making a decision during the absence of a Devil’s Advocate.

Prisca Ncube Musere very good points there Francis !!!

King Krayza Bee thank you guys, i thing i got a balanced discussion on both sides of a coin. I will consider your views and i hope to come up with a best solution

Livingstone Muringai l believe you can make it my brother and u need the right people to work with especially when u are starting. l have been in bakery industry for about 15years and it needs good strategies and patience. I am willing to assist you. Inbox

Shakespeare Matandanure I think proper business strategies must be carried especially marketing research, to evaluate success and competitive edges ,

Our Recommended Holiday Place of the week is Harare Safari Lodge which is situated on the shores of Lake Chivero. The entrance fee is $3 per person. You can bring the whole family and enjoy the quiet environs of the lake. Bring own braai stand or hire one for $4. The ideal place to be this Xmas or New Year-There is no butchery at the place so bring own braai packs and foldable chairs and tables.

So we are fortunate to interview Zimbabwe Business Ideas and Network Online Forex Trading CEO-Ryan Gambinga. He administers Zimbabwe’s best known Online Forex Trading Group. We are fortunate to benefit from his numerous researches and free online forex trading resources that he freely shares with members. Below are a couple of interview questions that I posed to him. Feel free to post additional questions and he will be free to answer you.

Briefly tell our readers about yourself how did you end up Trading Online Forex?

Ryan Gambinga is my name, am married to Nokuthula blessed with a son called Bryan Zodzoyashe. I am a Pos Systems Administrator by profession and founder of Zodzo Global and ICT Company. My friend Malvin Mombe first told me about forex trading but I never took the issue seriously but that was his source of income after losing his job as the company he worked for liquidated. After that discussion with Malvin I started researching and reading about Online Forex Trading.  As a member of ZBIN fb group it helped me to become much interested when we had discussions in the fb group.

Is Online Forex Trading the same as ‘Road Port High Rate?’

It’s partially the same but to a certain extent. Thus you buy one currency whilst disposing the other. For example USD/ZAR you either buy USD in exchange for ZAR or Vice Versa

The difference comes in terms of the way transactions are done. The road port guys they don’t use actual market rates. Whilst in online Forex trading rates are constantly changing every second they are not stagnant. Whilst at Road port they can spend the whole week with a rate pegged at the same value.

There are a lot of fundamentals that affects Online forex market which are not even felt at the Road Port market e.g. the recent USA elections.

How long have you been trading? Have you made any profit from trading?

I have been trading for 8 Months now and yes I have made profits from trading and withdrawals.

Have you made losses trading online forex?

-Yes losses are part of Online forex trading even Guru’s make losses the only important thing in forex trading is to be consistent.

Who is your mentor in the online forex trading field?

I look up to a lot of people as I want to be imparted with different types of skills and styles in trading , but these two have direct impact on my trading style thus  Clay Mathews and Sakhile Mcambi.

What are the requirements for one to trade?

-Internet Connection

-Computer, tablet or Smart Phone

-proof of Identification e.g. ID and Proof of resident (For broker account Opening)

-minimum of 5usd to open a live account

– Demo Account is free

-There is no Educational Qualification Required hahaha hapana zvema 5 O level including maths apa

Tips for first time traders

1.Demo- Demo -Demo -Demo Trading until you have perfectly horned your skill and style.

2.Be a Demo King first before you go live.

3.Do not be Greedy.  Greediness will be your biggest enemy you will never be a millionaire overnight

4.Don’t have gamblers mentality

5.Do not rush to go Live

6.Do not register with just any broker. Register with a well known regulated broker.

7.To Achieve Success you need to have consistency. Consistency = Success

8.To achieve Consistency you need to have patience and discipline

9.Discipline + Patience=Consistency – ->Success

10.Give Yourself Time to Learn

11. Set yourself realistic targets

Tell us about fraudsters in the online forex trading field

This industry is loaded with big time fraudsters. One has to be careful not to subscribe to everything they find online. You should never want to make this a get rich quick scheme. This is a process you have to be patient don’t be hoodwinked by promises of high monthly or weekly returns. No one can predict that tomorrow they are going to be profitable. They can lose money by gambling your investments because trading is affected by a lot of things e.g war natural disasters such as earthquakes and other fundamentals like news. So if one of those happens eg an earthquake hits SA the ZAR can lose value and your investor might have bought ZAR thus the trade can be lost.

Also there are a lot of fake robots and expert advisor systems which are sold online which can make you lose all your investments after being promised  crazy returns.

Also fake Guru’s who promises you heaven on earth like they will spin 50usd to 10000usd in 30 days. Some earn money from affiliate programs with certain brokers thus they earn when you lose. When you lose they make money same also applies to certain brokers who operate dealing desks.

Ask for a track record on myfxbook or fxjunction that shows you the verified trading results of the person you want to deal with.

The best advices I can give are investing in you through education which is free and learn to trade for yourself.

Be warned and not be scammed I emphasize on learning to trade for yourself.

Also use regulated broker there are a lot of fake manipulating brokers.

 Are the numbers doing forex trading increasing?

Yes the numbers are increasing but most think it’s a pyramid scheme where you can be a multi millionaire over night. Thus why statistics says 95% of retail traders lose money and fail. Most People join with a wrong mind set.

How is the experience leading ZBIN Online Forex Group?

It’s great interacting with people from different backgrounds and of different levels of knowledge as far as forex trading is concerned. We are a big family and people are really benefitting. I believe we are going to see great forex trader being unleashed from the group. I believe in 2 years time will have our own Ref Wayne or Sandile Shezi from ZBIN. Leading the Group has pushed me into researching and studying more so that I won’t be found wanting. It’s helping me to grow as a trader and I really enjoying being pushed that way as it helps me personally to be a successful and consistent trader.

Where do you get the material that you share with members?

Most of the stuff I get them online. Some for free and other important materials I purchase so that I can share. Google, you tube and from my mentors

Mobve kumusha kupi?

Ndinobva  Wedza paChisasike apo tichangobva paGoto uko kune St Annes Goto high School

 2017 Plans for ZBIN Forex Group

Our vision is to start offering free beginners classes by midyear of 2017.

Teaching our young people how to trade online forex.

Hold forex trading seminars in all the towns of Zimbabwe and emancipate the people from poverty.

Advice to people interested in online forex trading?

Don’t be afraid to start this journey, its something that can unshackle you from poverty, you just need the right set of mindset and not take this as gambling but as a business. Don’t be afraid of failure but concentrate on being a success by continuously studying.

Do not hesitate join our whatsapp group and telegram channel we are there to help you jump start into the life of forex trading. It’s a challenging but exciting journey one has to embark on which just needs dedication and perseverance. Otherwise success is there. If you put your heart and mind on it I promise you Success will become your middle name.

We are free to answer to all your questions and we welcome all you contributions also for FREE Online Forex trading tips and ideas you can read on our forex blog https://zimfxc.wordpress.com

Forum Update

The biggest project for the forum is going to be the business tour to Tete, Mozambique. A group of 25 members will be touring Mozambique for the next 3 days. Led by Clara Mapfumo the group is going to identify business opportunities that exist 340 kilometres to the North East of Harare.

This will be our third trip to the city of Tete two earlier trips done in March and April this year. We hope to consolidate business linkages done during previous trips. The group should have tangible results from the business tours by mid next year. We hope to see more group members establishing business ventures in our neighbouring country. We hope to see successful partnerships between Zimbabweans and Mozambicans established. We wish the group well and hope to hear from them when they return.

Another Mozambique tour will be done after the Tete one and is likely to cover Chimoio or Beira. More information to come after the Mozmbique-Tete trip.

Posts from the Diaspora

So we continue to cover stories of members living in foreign land and the reason is simple-to help inspire members by giving them contacts from the Diaspora who will give us useful tips. To date we have covered Angola, DRC, Dubai, Canada and India. We look forward to more interviews with Zimbos based in countries such as Kenya, Australia, Afghanistan, Somalia and USA.

Twenty Thousand Visitors

So we have hit the 20,000 forum website visits in our first month of operations. That is a new national record for a business site and we would like to thank our members and non-members who visit the site. The top 5 visitors to our site come from the following cities:

1. Harare
2. Cape Town
3. Bulawayo
4. Sandton
5. Johannesburg

We are pleased with the results because we are reaching out to regional countries such as Malawi, Zambia and South Africa. The largest number of visitors outside Africa come from USA, UK and Australia. We are currently reviewing the posts with the most visitors so as to draft strategies that cover the most read or sought after topics.

Adverts Section

The increase of visitors to the site means a big market for products and services. We have therefore added a market place for anyone with any products or service for sale. Please refer to the advert button on the forum menu and place your advert-no registration fees required.

Diaspora Business Meeting

We are currently putting in place logistics for our Diaspora meeting to be held in Harare at the end of December. An events calendar should be on the forum website which should enable members to register. The event, a first of its kind will be hoping to unlock business opportunities through partnerships between locals and our Diasporan brothers and sisters. We will be discussing various business topics so please register and bring a friend to the event.

Wishing you a fabulous week ahead

Munemo signs off.