From inbox

I am a Diasporan whose work permit has expired and my job contract is not renewable. I have a gratuity of $50 000 which I want to invest. What business can I invest in as I am seriously considering coming back home?

 

Responses from ZBIN Forum Members

Momo : Build a house if u don’t have

Connie : a house is not an investment

Tichaona: . I thought a house is a very good investment. Explain why is it not please?

Govero:  first house. yes its a liability but second third is now investment

Adolf T:  whats your area of speciality.i suggest you venture into things you understand.

Momo:  Actually here it is becz u can rent it out n ur money is secure..other businesses you can get a loss or rikanyura then wat?? With property u won’t go wrong..#mythinkinking from what l have seen.

Malcom: if you use only 10 thousand in two spin you can make over 80k

Connie Kudzai:  elaborate further

Innocent: I  buy a truck

Connie Kudzai : elaborate

Clara Mapfumo Hahahahaha a truck? Risky investment

Nick : This is a very serious question which we can respond to seriously, If this forum is meant for serious business people i suggest we respond with maturity, advise each other and allow space for serious engagement. The only discussion I have heard so far …See More

Connie: What hidey didn’t tell us is their risk tolerance. If you are risk averse stick to slow growth investments like real estate. If you have a reasonable appetite for risk, then you can do commodities like the diamonds as suggested but I am not well versed with that line of business

Phillipah:  Invest your money with asset management companies outside zim

Adolf T:  do that which u understand well..never take chances in Zim the playground is very uneven and full of uncertainities hence i support property development..never take chances and try to ferry passengers..

Penyai Rotai: Milling for makorokoza

Rueben : There is need to establish area’s of you business passion and possibly some qualifications. Then from there we can be in a position to offer valuable business advisory services…

Ad Mire : you could invest in technology startups there are a lot of promising ones

Ad Mire : you could invest in technology startups there are a lot of promising ones

Netcle : Do ur research n buy a container of a product or products that sell well in zim from china then wholesale them ie kitchenware, toys, e list is endless

Richard : Look for a Niche Market where you buy and sell a basic commodity (Sugar, Bread, Milk etc) at the lowest price possible say @ 15% mark up with a guarantee of 100% sales meaning you push volumes rather than a huge profit so for $50 000 you are guaranteed of a profit of $7 500 a day which in turn gives a weekly figure of $52 500

Francis : Huya tichengetwe nehuku

Joseph K: $50000.00 is a good starting point. Your options are vast with such kind of capital outlay. The following areas maybe rewarding and the capital requirements can be tailored within your available basket. Nissy  My dear in Zimbabwe believe it or nt u need a house, a roof over ur head u can invest munezvimwe zvese taona alot who have tried zvematrucks anongozofa uchivharwamari nema driver or mamine kuzim vakomana vachovanokwidimbira ende kwekutaura hakuna. In z…See More

Joseph K: Interestingly the rental market is becoming over saturated.

Adolf T:..but no doubt u wl get at least something back..low risk minimum returns

Cathrine : You can venture into the truck business long distances its got huge profits-Open a high end restaurant Or buy mining equipements from s.a and hire them out in zim

Joseph Kaundura That is wisdom

Cathrine: A house u can buy when money starts to flow coz the mentality of being landlord is too safe for a enterprenuer go big or go home #makeachange

Pilot : buy a stand and build a house thus a long term investment

Joseph : My understanding is that she is going to be out of employment. How is she going fend for herself.

Canisia:  I say look for a credible MLM company . Invest or partner with them and start a personal franchise. U reap big. In a short time u could be making more than a 100 thousand per quarter.

Iris Linda Baiwa:  My advice will be whatever you chose don’t invest all your money in one biz teya kwakawanda and whatever you chose make sure start small with less capital and see how far it gets you cz u neva can lose big tyme that way.good luck

Baba : Import used cars & we’ll make you rich

Sipho : Investment into real estate. At least you’re almost all guaranteed your money back within a certain number of years and then the profits later on

Watson Musenda $50k in real Estate thats little….what will he buy,southly stands or you mean a House in Chitungwiza?Then what? Property prices are not moving up at all because of jambanja stands.

Sipho : Harare isn’t the only viable market in zim. Gweru has got lucrative deals when it comes to real estate, like for instance, you can cash 50k for a house in southdowns a low density suburb and the likes and get a rental fee of about 400-800 depending on the house. So don’t just narrow your options to just harare

Tichaona : put a few in contraction in a few years vanhu vacha tanga kuvaka zvotyisa muno muzim

Hardy : Uya tivhure bottle store kuno

Justice : whichever advice u gonna get, building a house(s) in high density suburbs is the best advice u cld be given at the moment, and the wisest move u could ever make in this point in time…any other venture unonyura….and that is the reality on the ground!

Watson Musenda yozopwanya that house,what an investment?

Justice : when you have $50 000 there is NO way you can buy stand kuma UNAPPROVED sites…get that!

Samuel: Come & do yr research ,but retailing in grocery is no risky nowadays . Ground is not even pliz be carefull.

Chiedza: buy n sell motor spares.

Mehluli: Gama invest in my business/company…tht way you’ll never go wrong…

Arshford:  try farming

Pro-drivers Zimbabwe its a challenge bro- the climate is doomed- everything is risky nowadays. a house can b demolished- shop ramsacked- and its our authorities. Bite yo lip and invest in something u like- u have knowledge abt it. zvoda kushinga bedzi

Justice:  hey guys everything is risky everywhere even in the UK ikoko that’s the nature of business! there is no such thing as a safe investment ! a house is safer but not safe at all! you say if u get into the transport business unobirwa nema drive…See More

Joseph  You are wise

Govero  They have knowledge but you show me wisdom

Adolf T.  just do what u like,u have knowledge and understanding in..50k is big money to venture into anything u dont really know about nomater how lucrative people say about it..Strive ventured into telecoms coz of his vast knowledge and xposure in telecoms..

Connie  to answer the questions about a house and profession, hidey is a buyer and also owns a house in Budiriro where the family stays

Leeroy Bernard : 50k is a lot of money and u could start several projects from it, with large sums of capital never put all your eggs in one basket. I am firmly against giving “ideas” because i believe there is nothing like a bad business idea, the determining factors …See More

Sipho : Mind you, a business plan puts the environment at the pedestal. Because in the end plans are limited by the vicinity. So you might draft your strengths and no one buys that idea. What’s best is you look at what at the do withouts of a target market, then you build around that.

Leeroy Bernard  If still u cannot get an idea then become an investor. There are sooo many guys with innovative ideas out there…and you have capital…1+1. Im sure with 50k you could invest in over 10startups and all you hve to do as an investor is follow your investment and wait for returns

Joseph : Leeroy you are spot on

Portia : Leeroy Bernard interesting but i have a follow-up question. startups in Zim or elsewhere and how do you ensure they are not conmen

Newman  ..try farming bro

Justice  mmmmmm farming? farming is not as easy as you think! it’s fine when your a growing your little garden but once u put a hactare of anything it becomes a whole new ball game

Newman  ..it depends with what u are farming

Leeroy Bernard  Its very very risk u I think of people venturing into fields only because they’ve seen so and so making money from it. Farming is extremely risky if you do not have the passion and information on it. Drought, pests,excess producton dropping prices are but…See More

Florence : Be a gold dealer kana wakashinga

Justice  mmmm field of business rawaakutaura iri ka! it’s not for the faint hearted

Misheck Ndiro rinoita~manje im in it! Fortune favours the brave!!!

Leeroy Bernard :  Fields such as ict, medicine, education, power, recycling, water treatment, value addition in packaging, processing etc are begging for innovation and entrepreneuers and are gold mines. We need to get rid of the proverbial box and start thinking creativly

Leeroy Bernard:  A business plan should tell you how serious a proposal is. It will show you if the originator of the idea has done his homework and if its viable for investment. Also, being an investor doesnt mean giving away money and hoping for a return. You have to …See More

Leeroy Bernard Hope that answers u @ Portia

Tisha Tee: Real estate u wont go wrong

Godfrey  u a 100% correct

Stableck Savere I 100% disagree, u keep the value and then

Justice:  but your need to be in Zimbabwe to see what’s on the ground! hazviitwi by blue tooth Mari yako inoendera mahara

Stableck:  Inbox me for more details, ndine Real Investment, one thats gets better as the economy gets worse. Hope u serious

Joseph : Sounds interesting, what happens if the economy gets better

Calven : tenga ma kombi

Max  Would advice him to venture into animal husbandry.mombe nekuchengeta mbudzi.its a medium term project but it pays in the long run.

Mike : when you back inbox, we sign contracts

Micheal : l am into mining and with the challenges l am facing considering my start up capital,l can only imagine if it was me with that $50k as my start up capital

Justice  REALISTIC ADVICE:Use yo $50k to buy a PERMANENT VISA and to RENEW THAT CONTRACT and stay wherever it is where you could raise that kind of mula…..

Liberty : True

Joseph:  JUSTICE staying outside the country is never the best thing. It is common cause that most people from other parts of the world in diaspora will always invest in their countries of origin. It is therefore my take that this person asking for advise want.

Tichaona: burn it in the fire

Leeroy:  I still maintain there is nothing like a bad business idea just the level of inovation put into it. What if he built a house in a resort town/area and sold it to 10 different people under a timeshare plan. They all own the house for periods through out…See More

Watson : Your ideas are brilliant but its $50k,its not enough for that massive construction,he needs land,building and fittings that all cost money….Break down the expense…probably he needs a partnership to complete the concept.

Mcshaman : You’re very right about the level of innovation put into it as competition is quite stiff and a number of people are already implementing these ideas. However, they’re great feasible ideas which need careful planning and execution, as well as a market that is very liquid.

Leeroy Bernard  In the 70s a man had an idea of selling pet rocks. Rocks make the best pets, you dont feed them, bath them, walk them. Each rock was sold for about $4 and was sold in brown cardboard box with holes so the rock could “breath”,,,in a year he made millions in revenue,,,,there are no bad business ideas

Munashe:  Unonyura…if econet is reporting low profits for the half year wat makes u think ur buz will grow?Vanhu vanemari dzakadaro varikunyura as they finance losses in the early years

Mai Anashe: so u are suggesting kuti adii? business has its ups and downs. sometimes u win sometimes you lose. it’s risk taking. graph re business harisi steady if you what I mean. even America inoomerwa.

Munashe : Rather use some of the money to renew ur permit

Adolf T:  you want the person to remain a slave forever now

Magret:  We can start a business together got ideas

Watson :  Can buy and sell Gemstones. Eg Tomolin buy for $1000per kg sell for $30000 kg

Adolf T.  risky..does the person know gemstons at all..tomurova nemahwambi nemabhotoro zvedu

Connie:  Watson  are you sure about the values that you put there for tomolin because that is too good to be true. What percentage of profit is that?

Mai Anashe : just a piece of my mind, don’t put all your eggs in one basket

King Krayza  come and invest a quarter of in farming be it animal husbandry or crops. Or be an importer of maize

Akiyana:  Come home identify a farm with enough water to irrigate 10 hectares then venture into maize farming u get your invested capita l plus lots of profit

Teesy:  I will advice buy a house n get a monthly rental hako coz bznz unogona kunyora woona wakafira mahara force past yrs ukachema

Baba:  Powerful

Thandi:  Import maize from Zambia and sell in Harare or Bulawayo. Some are selling in Zvishavane and they are making gud bucks. Passenger transport with a very good coach doing routes like Gweru to Lusaka ey pay. Passion os whats needed. Best is to invest in things you enjoy doing so that you will be hands on. Too much mbavha is the problem. Havachabi muhomwe dzevanhu asi vakuba kubasa

Ethel: Start a real estate co u wont go wrong

Adolf T.  all these ideas having been said are surely the best but guys one has to know these things..again most of the people who quickly went overseas are not business quality but rather working quality..those who can effectively work for organizations who em…See More

Adolf T.  just simple housing and get that little usds while u try other things or even getting employed again elsewhere..like i said most of us are working type,very good ones,productive,panctual,obidient etc..and not CEOs or employers..anopera madhora ose dhuu nematsotsi azere muZimbabwe kkkkk

Syden:  come back hame and start a business

Mdala Wa Rue: Brilliant responses—our post of the year!!!

Misheck: All ideas are pretty good except that guy asingafunge ~my advice to e friend *Invest in a business where u have a strong passion in !

Reggie:  It’s all down to asking yourself the hard questions. Entrepreneurship is no walk in the park and there are more than 90% chance you will lose it all and almost stroke.

Reggie : And please do a business model that fits to usd50,000 and ask people already doing successful business. $50k is not much for a lot of business models and a good startup advisor can show you where the money will run short not necessarily that you will be having a bad idea. I advise not to play around with your gratuity, especially if you have a family

Philip:  The best for me was 1. Do not put all your money in one investment 2. Find your passion and make it make money for you 3. Therz no business without risk. 4. Start small as you assess.

AB Jobsite Agriculture sounds good but do not stand on that alone, diversification is the best. Also on farming take potatoes. If you like to start something new with amazing results, there is a business idea I am selling. You can contact me for more information and I will make it known to you.

Philip  True that. Potatoes are said to be the second highest earning cash crop for Zimbabwe in 2014

Innocent : I have tried to read some of the replies. My advice is from all the information you got you have to consider what interests you and what field you know. For example green mealies project is a good idea but only if you have the farming knowledge.

Justice : green millies is easy, low capital outlay! i mean ndiani asingagoni kurima chibage

Daniel  I also has managed to raise $50000 in 5 years dealing in second hand tyres. Maybe there are plenty of tyres where you are. You can consider shipping them to Zim. This is my number 0774343309

Peter  Also check prices of alluminium consumables in Kuwait(window section and door sections)

Innocent  Jus buy bronclear and yu get rich

Brian My belief and training suggests that a business should be born out of enterprise first before capital. Im do not support the idea of the Cart before the Horse. As a country we are also facing similar problems of people obtaining education for position…

Watson  With our economy a house is not an investment with the way rentals are going down,or houses spending 2,3 months with out occupancy thats a risk investment. A house can only act as a security for future but not as an income generating property…you might go 2 months without rental paid.The question is what brings money daily,weekly or month end??The family should survive boss.

King Krayza guys when you ask for options on how best you can invest, pliz update us when you final make a decision. Some people take time to give out valuable advices which some are paying for at bussness consultants. So now one asks and never came back with his/her progress, how how you expect all who advised you well to feel???

PS* Post originally appeared on Zimbabwe Business Ideas and Network in November 2015

Our group is the first to champion Online Forex Trading in Zimbabwe. We provided the platform for free sharing of information and resources on Online Forex Trading in from October 2015. In June 2016 we created a Watsapp Platform for the group where we added more than 200 members.

During the year we later on established  that we had added a lot of people who were not really interested in Online Forex Trading but members who were only interested in hoodwinking unsuspecting members. We had members who were advertising Binary Trading and other Ponzi Schemes. We tried our best to weed out these unscrupulous elements and warning group members of the dangers of working with them.

How Online Forex Trading Fraudsters Work.

Just  like the now defunct MMM, Some so called Online Forex Traders open Whatsapp Groups where they recruit unsuspecting members of the public. They will promise to invest money on behalf of members with the promise of high returns. In the initial stages they usually deliver on these promises with interest rates as high as 100%. After investing several times,   the scheme will collapse with members losing thousands of dollars. Members usually realise that they have been conned when they try to contact the Online Forex Trader but not successful in contacting or locating them.

Our Advice to Group Members

Stop investing in any new activities that you are not sure of. Avoid schemes operated by people you do not know. With the collapse of the MMM scheme other new dodgy schemes are cropping up every day. We therefore urge our members to be wary of any new schemes.

For the purpose of this update I will concentrate on these 2 areas only;

1. Binary Trading: At face value Binary Trading is fine. The only problem comes when one promises members of the public to be an expert trader and takes funds from members for investment.
2. Online Forex Trading: Jut like Binary Trading it looks good on paper-a complex financial trading scheme where millions of profits are made every trading second, millions also being lost every trading second in this high risk high return industry.
3. Bitcoin Trading: Little is known by most Zimbabweans of this new form of currency and Bitcoin Traders are promising high returns to anyone joining their schemes. You pay joining fees and get paid for every member that you recruit.

There are other emerging schemes where members of the public are invited promised unrealistic high returns. Our advice is that you should never ever join these schemes. Never wire any money to anyone promising high returns.

If you remember well, sometime in October 2015 we gave members a warning about MMM and in less than 8 months later, the scheme collapsed. As for our ZBIN Online Forex Trading Group Policy, our message is clear. Just learn the basics on dummy account. Our Administrator Miss Lorraine  will provide you with free resources, free website links, free videos but we will never allow anyone to take funds from members and invest.

If anyone is taking funds from members of the public and promising  high returns on investment then do Zimbabwe a favour-quickly get contact details of the person and approach the Police. Report to the Police anyone promising unrealistic high returns on funds invested! If you would like to try your hand at Online Forex Trading then do a lot of dummy account practice before going live-never ever give funds to anyone to trade on your behalf!

Middle East Forum Contact: Tendai Wemhazi
So to date i have given you two Forum Contacts–they are for Angola (Julie Musix) and for DRC its Rejoice In case you want to relocate, In case case you  would like to inquire about business- you are not going to start from scratch You are going to have a forum contact to assist you with free information thanks to ZBIN

Now ladies and gentlemen let me introduce you to another close friend of mine. Tendai WeMhazi…a very close friend of mine who is based in Dubai do ask her questions and she will do her best to respond.

Questions

Farai Joseph :Are there a lot of foreign owned businesses in Dubai? Any restrictions on foreign ownership?
Watson Midzi: Am growing organic products am told there is a huge demand for organic foods currently dominated by Brazil. What chances are there for Zimbabwean companies or farmers to supply in Dubai. Hw do I do it?
Yemurai Nhongo-Thepe Thanks for this, mazuvano ndafunga zve Middle East, somewhere I can go without having to leave my family. Is Dubai family friendly? Someone recently told me Saudi is super expensive if you have a young child. Ko mabasa ari legitimate anowanikwa sei ikoko?
Glenda Chihera Paka: what qualifications do they require in dubai or abu dhabi for me to get a meaningfull job since i cnt speak Arabic

Response

Tendai Bond Cash-Baroness WeMhazi: Hey guys. Let me start by explaining a few basics. The UAE (United Arab Emirates) consists of 7 Emirates, Abu Dhabi which is the capital, Dubai which is the 2nd biggest emirate, then Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Umn Al Quiwan and Sharjah. Dubai is the most popular but Abu Dhabi is the richest. You can open your business in any of the 7 emirates. The best thing to do is choose your Emirate according to the type of business you want to do coz if you want to go into manufacturing, small emirates have lower rents, You just have to know what you want to do. Farai Joseph, there are a lot of foreign owned businesses in Dubai. I think the highest number of foreigners who own businesses are Indian. Anyone can own a business in the UAE but ownership depends on where your business is located. If you open your business in a freezone, you have 100% ownership but some businesses are not practical to operate from a freezone. Another option is Mainland. If you open in the mainland then you can only own 49 % and find a local( Emirati) partner to own 51% (called a sponsor). Some Emiratis own 51% but as silent partners. You can agree on an annual fee to pay them and only see them once a year when you give them the agreed sponsorship money
Tendai Bond Cash-Baroness WeMhazi: Watson Midzi any agricultural products will do coz there’s no meaningful agriculture there. Meat products might present a challenge yekuti meat products from other countries are not allowed. South Africa and Botswana are not even allowed to bring in meat products. There are a lot of sub standard fruits and veges sold in our supermarkets.

Questions
Njabulo Mshin Zuma: why Is South Africa and Botswana not allowed to bring meat products?
Prisca Ncube Musere how much money is neeeded to sustain you when busy looking for a job ,ende unenge uchigara pai someone told me u need to book and stay in a hotel for that period.

Response
Tendai Bond Cash-Baroness WeMhazi Sorry guys, been a bit busy. I’m on holiday in Zim lol so too much to do. Rutendo, there are all sorts of job opportunities out there. Tourism, business management, finance etc. Asingabatike batike are the ones from the social services sector like Social work etc. Njabulo im not really sure why. I was told so by a guy who manages a SA butchery where I buy my boerwoirs. I guess it’s about diseases like foot and mouth etc. Prisca Musere, it’s really hard to say how much u need coz it all boils down to what u eat and where you find accommodation. You don’t have to stay in a hotel. That’s not true. U can find people advertising for bedspace ( a small space for sleeping). Bed space in Dubai costs a little bit more than the other Emirates. I think it’s about 800 dirhams (divide by 3.67 if you want to know the equivalent in dollars) for bed space in a room with 5 other people and u will be the 6th one. Sharjah is a little bit cheaper but be sure to stay in an area called Al Nahda which is right next to Dubai. Sharjah bedspaces go for about 800-850 in a room of 4 people. Some rooms have access to a kitchen and some don’t so it means you will have to buy food if u have no access to a kitchen. You might be required to pay your bit for the electric ana water bill. I’d say maybe $500 per month. It’s expensive, especially now coz jobs are hard to come by. Glenda i’m not really sure what you are asking. Simba some jobs like nursing are a little bit more challenging to get for many nationalities coz there aren’t many Zimbos in that sector. They usually recruit nurses/ medical staff from countried where they have assessed the level and standard of education/training. Check with Dubai health authority. Just google Dubai health authority or HAAD (Health authority of Abu Dhabi) and check for licensing requirements coz you need to get a license from them b4 working in the UAE. Just check if they accept qualifications from Zim.

Question

Alfred Nzombe Need to know on cost of living ,requirements for one to be able to live there whilst looking for work and the time one can spent looking for work,cost of accommodation and salaly scales.Also type of contracts are they permanent or temporary.

Response

Tendai Bond Cash-Baroness WeMhazi: Alfred. The cost of living is high in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, slightly less in Sharjah and a bit reasonable in other Emirates. U can work in Abu Dhabi or Dubai and drive back and forth daily. A lot of people do it but it takes around 1hr 30min. it’s usually the people who work in Dhabi and choose to live in Dubai who do that coz Dubai offers more entertainment than Dhabi. Then u have a lot of people who live in Sharjah and work in Dubai coz rents are slightly cheaper. Problem with that is the traffic congestion everyday to and from Dubai. You can also live in Ajman which is 45min- 1hr drive from Dubai. It’s more practical if u drive your own car. Some people live in Ras Al Khaimah and work in Dubai but that takes an hour daily to go and another hour back. There’s a lot of truck drivers on that road so it’s definitely not the safest. Salaries differ a lot and nationality does play a big part. Americans, british and Australians are usually @ the top of the pay scale in that order (usually)followed by Arabs and other Europeans. Africans are not among the highest paid but there are a lot of them who are doing well. Some people get paid around $uSD15 000/month whilst housekeepers and waiters, cleaners etc get paid between 5 hundred and something dollars to $800. Problem is the rent people who fall in the bottom part of the payscale can’t afford to pay for an apartment so end up going for bedspaces. I have a flat I rent in Sharjah (just where Dubai ends and Sharjah begins) and I pay almost $1 000 per month in rent before electricity. Food depends on what u eat. My food budget per month is about $500 coz I buy my food from a particular supermarket but I shopped from a regular supermarket, id probably be spending $200 or less.

Tendai Bond Cash-Baroness WeMhazi: Alfred, the first contract is usually for 2 yrs then goes on auto renew(where I work). Some are unlimited ( my old job). They have a sponsorship system in the UAE and you are obliged to stay with 1 employer for min of 2 yrs. If u try to get another job whilst on a limited contract you risk getting a labour ban for 6 months meaning u have to leave the UAE and return after 6 months. You can’t get temporary employment and you can’t work without a permit.

Tendai Bond Cash-Baroness WeMhazi: Sorr guys for the late response, i was on vacation. Mdala Wa Rue maNaija andinoziva are employed and have good jobs. Havaite zveku Gulf though our country is a Gulf country lol. Ad Mire Prime Makusha as long as uine good work experience uchiziva basa rako usina kuzungaira unowana basa.

PS* Post originally appeared on the facebook page Zimbabwe Business Ideas and Network.

So as promised last week, here is the good news. Iam writing the first forum update from our website! Its been a long wait and the wait is over. Through the website we hope to achieve the following:

1. More business sharing by members
2. Effective networking by Zimbabweans based and the Diaspora
3. Creation of Smart Partnerships by members and foreign investors
4. Central filing of all resources that are required by members
5. Promotion of business interests of members

Our forum will remain free for all the 28,000 members from the group Zimbabwe Business Ideas and Network. I will only be available during weekends to post any adverts or website updates.

We hope to repost some of the most interesting posts from the forum. I have already done so in terms of the Chicken Layers Project, Marketing Tips, DRC contact interview  and , Tete Trips. There are still hundreds of articles to be reproduced and filed on the website.

Updates from  ZBIN Whatsapp Platforms

ZBIN Real Estate forum is slowly picking up. We have added a couple of experts to the forum and we hope they will help the group with a lot of technical information on real estate issues. A weekly forum summary to be produced each week.

ZBIN Poultry Group No 4: This group is closed to new members and the reason is simple-we reached the maximum limit. With a lot of information shared, a lot of resources such as books, videos and audios iri group rinodadisa. Thank you Catherine Shava, Theresa Sithole and team for keeping the group intact. ZBIN Poultry No 4 wins the Munemo Award of the Week.

ZBIN Online Forex Group: The group Is slowly picking up with more information being shared. A free workshop is coming for members in the next 2 weeks. Do remember that you must never allow anyone to trade online forex on your behalf. We encourage members to gain a lot of information through trading on dummy accounts before going  live. For more resources on online forex trading Please visit www.babypips.com.

ZBIN Baking: Baking has taken Harare by storm, baking has gone viral…more and more ladies are trying baking for a living. A total of 4 ZBIN Groups now exist with a total membership of more than 1000. Thembie Cakes and Chichi Cakes , Thank you for providing leadership. A field day is coming for members at the end of the month. As for Harare men here is a surprise…I hear there is going to be an Xmas Baking Day for daddies, so get ready to try your hand and bake a family xmas cake in December!

ZBIN Mining: We are slowly getting there, more discussions, more resources shared, trackers on prices of minerals etc. Coming at the end of the month is a Mining Networking event and a possible Mining Tour to members in Mash West, a follow up to Cde Solar’s tour. Caution to new members, no discussions on controlled minerals!

Other ZBIN Groups-Transport, HR Resources, Poultry…keep it up guys, lets continue to unlock business discussions through discussions and networking.

The Forum & Diaspora

Before the formation of the forum we asked ourselves the following questions:

Lets say iam in Canada or Mexico and I want to invest in Zimbabwe, where will I get free information? If iam in South Africa and has got a kombi business in Zim, where will I get information about latest business trends in Zimbabwe? Even here in Zim like Mutoko or Plumtree where can one get business information for free. Good information for decision making? So the answer is business information is expensive…either uchanyeberwa or uchanzi pay me xyz amount. So as ZBIN we said we will fill the information gap..we will provide members especially the Diaspora with free business information. Through the forum you will be clued up with what is happening on the ground. As a result we do have three quarters of our admin team being outside Zim.

Harare only has 2 admins, Munemo and Clara Mapfumo..the same for Bulawayo where you find  Theresa and Munhukwaye Catherine Shava. Our forum Deputy CEO is based in Plumtree-Mr Polite Ndlovu. The rest of the admin team is based in Namibia, South Africa, UK and USA. So the Diaspora is part of us and every week I will be posting free business advice targeting the Diaspora.

Forum Big Day

All roads lead to Paramount in Hatfield next Saturday 12 November 2016. Its going to be a follow up business meeting for the Mozambique business opportunities group but I think we can spend an hour or so discussing about other forum business issues. You are all welcome to attend. It will also be our official Forum  Website  Launch hayewa makuwerere. Tingasafare sei hedu with a website that has more than a thousand hits in less than a week?

So thanks for the support. Big thanks of course go to our Admin based in the States-Chamu Chamakanda made it possible by paying for hosting fees for the website. Dai asipo tingori murima after tavharwa nemupfana uyu wekutora mari kwaakuno register www.zbin.co.zw in his name…aah vamwe vanhu? If you would like to attend the event then get in touch with Clara Mapfumo.

So keep supporting your forum, keep supporting business information sharing and networking. Lets unlock more opportunities for the betterment of members and our wonderful country, Zimbabwe. After the website the next work in progress is our online business  newsletter.

Till next week, Be Blessed.

Muito Obrigado

With temperatures soaring in Harare, Munemo has just been thinking ‘What happened to Water World? What led to the demise of this famous place in Harare? This used to be a family friendly place to cool off especially in summer when Harare experiences some of the highest temperatures of the year. So what led to the closure of the place? From a financial point of view its simple…its profitability issues. Its highly likely that the place was nolonger profitable leading to its closure and converting the premises to other use.

Now with temperatures hitting new highs iam tempted to relook at Waterworld. Is there demand for this leisure activity? My answer is obviously yes, there is huge demand for this. Hararians love to cool off but the options are limited. There are few family friendly venues to cool off and have fun leading Hararians with no option but to visit the sewage infested Lake Chivero for cooling off. Even at this lake there are no trendy or modern facilities that will attract the interest of Hararians.

So in short, Harare need investment in a lot of areas and the Leisure and Entertainment sector is one area that is crying for investment. So diasporans thinking of investing back home-do have a look at this sector. If you are worried about the costs of land perhaps you may need to partner with Harare City Council, they have a lot of public swimming pools that are derelict swimming pools in areas such as Waterfalls and Highfields, good venues for water sports.

So who can be your potential customers?

1. General Public during weekends and Public Holidays
2. Schools and Crèches  during the week especially private schools

So start the researches, do check out latest trends from abroad and carry out detailed researches. I can surely guarantee you of good returns on investment.

 

Business Opportunities in Moz Tete Part 2

As promised, here is the last part of the write up of our tour of Mozambique during the Easter period.

1.What can you buy from Tete and Sell in Zim?

Iam not a fan of vending but here is something interesting—-Charcoal! Its all over Tete…a bag costs $1- $1,50…resaleable value is Harare is $8-$10. With most of the charcoal in supermarkets being imported from SA, this is your chance to open your own Charcoal company. Buy charcoal from Mozambique , repackage it , rebrand it and resell it in Zim.

For this to work you need all relevant import licences, for transport costs do not sweat, you can use the empty trucks coming from Malawi enroute to South Africa. My own estimates is that you should be able to make good profits per bag coz when you repackage it unogona kubudisa ma 3 to 4 packets like those sold in Zim.

2.Schools/Colleges

On our way from Harare to Mtoko unongoti wafamba a few kilos…wowona sign yechikoro. Pano neapo chikoro kwakati…neapozve chikoro. All of this comes to a sudden halt as you enter Moz. Maybe they are designed differently? Maybe they are Pole and Dagga schools? Well i may not have all answers but speaking to folks who work in Moz the conclusion reached is that the standard of education that side is very low.

The end result is that folks working in Moz leave their kids to learn in Zim—an uncomfortable arrangement!! Only one college was recently opened by a Zimbo where kids learn the Zim’s standard of education. I would like to believe that there is more room for entry given that this region has the highest number of expats and yet no international school. Our hosts had also opened a crèche in Tete in addition to a small college they opened last year in Chimoio.

3.Food Courts & Shopping Malls

South Africans are opening their own malls, own banks, own companies…they have invaded this city especially across the Zambezi River. Your chance to visit this place and find out how you can personally benefit. Open food courts, boutiques, internet cafes targeting foreigners and locals. . The rentals seem to be reasonable in Tete….Only saw one very good restaurant where we had dinner, a lot of expats were there.

4.Accommodation.

Our hosts said this area is over subscribed…too many hotels have cropped up in the last 3 or so years. But we struggled to find accommodation in the range of $50-$80 per night!! Time for someone to relook at the sector once more with a view to enter it. You can target the expat community too. Plenty of open spaces along the Mighty Zambezi River banks—good investment opportunity.

5.Farming
This is the area where white Zimbo farmers settled after farm evictions a decade ago. A fellow black Zimbo is already doing a piggery project 50 kilos along the Tete-Zambezi Road.

6.Truck I [soliloquy id=”75″]nn

The Road from Tete to Changara does not have a good truck inn..a good place where truck drivers can all stop at one place and rest. Iam envisioning a one place which can also combine with food courts, Mvuma/Zindoga comes to mind.

7.Business Consultancy

The biggest gap in Mozambique is LANGUAGE BARRIER which has created problems in terms of accessing information. All investment opportunities are being taken by ‘foreigners’ because locals ( i mean Zimbos lol) do lack information. Can you imagine i never saw a Zimbo registered vehicle in Mozambique? At the border i only saw 2 vehicles headed for Moz and on way back just 1 Toyota Avensis heading to Moz?
So we agreed with our host that they should set up a website which will become the resource centre of all business information concerning Moz. Jobs, investment opportunities, networking events, new developments etc
We have in mind a place like this forum where information can be easily accessible in the language of your choice- Ndebele, Shona, English and Portuguese.

We have in mind a good platform where you can get information such as:
a. Accommodation
b. Work permits
c. Employment
d. Entertainment
e. Contracts in Moz
f. Business Partnerships
g. Economic Opportunities Tracker
h. Portuguese Learning Centre
i. Importers and Exporters
j. Tourism Opportunities

A first time visitor to Mozambique should get information easily of how long it will take to travel- the distance, necessary documentation, where to live, how to get permits, who to contact etc.

Employers in Mozambique like Zimbabwean  workers because  we are hardworking and honest. They need a place where they can easily contact and recruit potential employees without much hassle. ONE PLACE FOR MOZ OPPORTUTINIES .

*Post originally appeared on the Facebook Page: Zimbabwe Business Ideas and Network in March 2016.

 

So we are looking at the positive side of the Bond because the introduction of the Bond is a done deal. So how can ZBIN members benefit from the introduction of the Bond? Below are 11 ethical and simple ways to take advantage of the Bond.

1)    RBZ Incentive: As a diasporan do take advantage of the 3% bonus incentive by RBZ to complete any projects back home.

2)    Research and take advantage of online opportunities(Mark mock exams if you possess CFA, CISA,CIMA or ACCA qualifications.

3)    Online Adverts hosting: Develop a website and take advantage of Adsense by hosting adverts and getting revenue for every advert watched.

4)    Online content developers are in high demand the world over, take advantage and earn forex.

5)    More Websites Required: Zimbabwe  is need of more websites in the areas of Tourism, Stone Sculptor Marketing, Business, Herbal Medicine, Poultry, Fashion etc. Develop a website and link them with Apps for business success.

6)    E-commerce currently a challenge in Zim. Get in touch with friends and relatives in neighbouring countries and establish  e-shops. Develop Apps and sell them internationally

7)    ZBIN Regional Groups: ZBIN has been creating groups for foreign nationals such as South Africans and Malawians, we have been strategic in creating regional networks-use them to create key contacts and expand your business. Use them to become a regional consultant and expand your business beyond Zimbabwe to earn forex.

8)    Take advantage of Regional Tours: Our next business tour to Mozambique will be about exports, creating business opportunities for members, unlocking opportunities, creating key contacts and partnerships. After Mozambique, we hope to also cover Zambia and Angola.

9)    Diaspora Partnerships with the Diaspora: Life is tough everywhere but our Diasporan community is fortunate (some of them) to be formally employed and having access to credit facilities. If you are a local, then make sure you have registered businesses for partnerships with the diaspora. The diaspora does remit up to $1Billion per year, ZBIN will be working hard to create a platform where locals and diasporans meet for business networks.

10) Maximise on local products sales: create good relations with key local products producers.

11) Tourism: The introduction of the Bond might be the catalyst for the tourism sector, do expect an increase in tourist arrivals in the medium term, are you ready to take advantage of the potential influx of tourists?

[soliloquy id=”75″]

This post originally appeared on Zimbabwe Business Ideas and Network Facebook Page in March

How is your Easter great people? Aaah I’m back…mufaro here uyu? Kunyemwerera here uku?Dream fulfilled–wanted to visit Tete, find out more business information about Tete. Wanted to have fun and discover new interesting stuff and yes I did, yes loads of fun I did enjoy

Purpose of the Trip:
The Purpose was simple, to tour Tete and find out whether there are investment or job opportunities for members of this group of ZBIN group.

Perception of Tete
Just like most Hararians, I ad very little information of Tete. Everything was based on hearsay and to some extent information obtained from the internet. So we can safely conclude that we knew nothing about Tete. In my  mind, Tete was a growth point!! A growth point with little development or uncontrolled development. An outpost of poverty!!

The Journey

We left Harare around 8:00am and arrived at Nyamapanda Border post around 10. At the border posts there were only 2 cars headed for Mozambique!! Get your facts right…Only 2 cars?? Ndikati hameno ikoko isu tirikuenda chete.

Excellent Moz Road
What a shocker—The road that you connect with right from the border is unbelievable. You can be mistaken for thinking that you have entered South Africa!!! But I tel u that the road is far much better than the Beitbridge-Musina road. Wot a sweet road…hahahaha. Uyo tikati hande nayo,Welcome to Mozaambique.

Changara

After travelling for 50-60 kms we entered Changara. A small urban centre –ndipo patakatanga kuwona toll gate but raisashanda.

Poverty -1
You will see from the fotos to be posted, dzimba dzemahuswa dzinorakidza kuti vazhinji vari mupoverty.( This statement may be debatable) . A lot of homesteads we saw on our way to Tete do point to extreme poverty. Pole and Dagga homes are littered along the road.

Cidade de Tete.

After reaching Changara you turn left—The road becomes busy, traffic activity increases by 800%….Signs of Economic Activity. You will meet a lot of gonyets travelling from Chimoio to Tete..Uyo takabva tati hande nayo road iyi tinowona kwainogumira.

Travelling at a safe speed of 100km/hr or so we were surprised to reach Tete in 1 and a half hours—Awesome!! We had planned to spend an extra 4 hours or so on the road!! Ko taive ne knowledge here? Our information was based on youtube and online map zve kkk

Mozambique Policemen.

I was afraid of speed traps and police road blocks. So during the trip I drove cautiously  given that this was my first trip ever to Moz. How many Police Road Blocks? Just 1….Yes just 1 road block!! Hatina kana kutombomiswa…takangopfuurira kuenda. Haa apa takawomberawo mawoko!

City Centre
Kuma 11 uyo tasvika…the first change you witness ma high temperatures—we experienced 33 degrees from Harares 26 and realised that masamba asiyana. Then the motorbikes—but everything else looked normal. Tichisvika tikabva tati handei kunopfuurira the Mighty Zambezi Bridge.
We decided to buy food and cellphone lines as well.

Language Barrier

Apawo vandinavo hapana ane Portuguese language knowledge. The little Portguese we know ma Chips and drinks…Easy stuff, food ichiuya. Then i asked about directions about the nearest hotel. Apo ka apo…apa arikutaura ne fast Portuguese…haa communication yaramba. But arikungoti Mbofana Hotel..Mbofana hotel. Then ndokubva pasvikawo kamwe kasikana ako kakati in English ayewa kuti musvike Mbofana munoofamba so, turn left etc.

Zambezi River Banks

Instead of Mbofana hotel we decided to turn back nedirection yatabva uyooo tananga pazasi pe Zambezi river. Parkei mota pane machinda ema motor bikes. Decided to cool off pamahombekombe e Zambezi River ….Aaah tikati heey we know this river from somewhere.

Part 2
To be continued as we explore Cidade De Tete and find out whether its a growth point and an outpost of poverty.

[soliloquy id=”75″]

*Raw post taken straight from Facebook,never mind the language and grammar, just enjoy

 

Greetings from Beatrice : So yesterday I found myself 70 kilos from Harare…Munemo was in Beatrice.

Purpose of my journey was simple–wanted to tour a Poultry project being carried out by one of my friends. Aaaaah fabulous stuff…My friend started the project in March 2014. He borrowed $20k as initial capital to fund the project.

He used the capital to buy 1000 layers at $12 each. (Pretty expensive, $12,000 on birds alone?)The remainder of the capital was used to construct a Poultry Run that accommodates 1000 layers, also sunk a borehole n purchased poultry feed n vaccines.

Payback Period
In 2014 eggs were being sold at $4.5 per crate & my friend managed to sell all eggs resulting in him raising and returning back the capital of $19,000 in 7 months!!!

Fast forward to 2016
At first he bought point of lay chickens @ $12 per bird..very expensive arrangement. Not a sustainable arrangement. This sort of capital is definitely not easy to access…he decided to raise own chicks to cut on costs. The experiment worked, only 7 chicks died from a batch of 2040 ( 40 ma extras given by the seller)

So what did I witness yesterday? Dear forumites, I witnessed a successful project where my friend has 2000 birds producing 60 crates per day. The selling price is not good at all…now pegged @ $3,3.(Profit per bird?Eeeh did not carry out a detailed cost analysis…promise to do next time). However its important for you to know tht a layer that has reached a point of lay stage is expected to continue laying for a period of 18 months. An egg per day…

He is currently phasing out the first batch of 1000 layers.

Management
He does not need to actively manage the project…he rarely goes to the project. Infact he only goes when there is a red flag…the red flag of chickens producing eggs less than 60 crates per day. If its consistent for a number of days then he has to investigate 3 issues namely:
1.Are eggs being stolen?
2.Disease outbreak?
3.Faulty feed?

The few times he has had to investigate were prompted by faulty feed.

So once set up the project does not require a lot of management time. He visits the project once every 2 months. He however ensures that he gets daily updates of production matters such as how many crates produced-feed used etc

Labour costs
He has 3 full time employees..2 part time guards.

Water
For this type of project one needs plenty of water. My friend did sunk a borehole(kwete tsime lol)…from the photos  you can see the water tanks and pipés.

Market
Initially he used to sell his eggs to schools-churches-tuckshops and neighbours. He realised that this was not an efficient way of selling eggs with chasing up debtors going to be costly.

Mbare the Egg Market Hub
He started selling his eggs at Mbare and has never looked back!!! He delivers his eggs at Mbare on a weekly basis getting paid for his sales the following day after delivery. Current egg prices range from $3-$3,3. Mbare is now the marketing hub of eggs even the big 3 Poultry Companies now offload thousands of crates on a weekly basis at Mbare. Mbare is now the nerve centre of Eggs in Zim…eggs are transported from Mbare to areas as far as Victoria falls or Nyanga!!

His current plans
Phase out the initial offlayers(1000 birds) n replace them with road runners. Also continue with the new batch of 2000 birds.

Coming next on your forum:

A detailed Post Originally posted on Zim Business Ideas and Network Facebook page in February 2016.

*Post originally posted on Zimbabwe Business Ideas and Networking (ZBIN ) Facebook page in March 2016