Diaspora Matters

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?

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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.

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*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

Good Afternoon investors how are you doing? Kunevaenda kumakereke mafamba zvakanaka here? Hayewa tichizorora hedu musi we Sunday kudai planning for the week ahead tinokushuvirai makomborero oga oga.

Ok dear friends, lets look at our shopping malls in Zim…Last time we reviewed shopping malls I think we touched on Longchen. Today we will take a close look at the Old Mutual owned shopping mall-Highglen.

Location.
Located near Budiriro the area is easily accessible to folks residing in Highfields,Glen Norah, Glenview,Budiriro, Mufakose,Kambuzuma and Rugare. Good catchment area with a population exceeding 200,000.

Parking Space.
The area has excellent spacious parking space. Some of the space has been turned into a bus terminus for long distance buses.

Vacant Shopping Offices.
The occupancy rate at this mall should be less than 30%. There are many reasons why the situation is like this. We may need a lot of research on the Whys. Our focus is not on the Whys but we choose to be positive and find our HOW members of this forum can benefit.

Possible Opportunities.
Interested in investing at this shopping area? Not sure of the fields to invest in? One quick guide for you is to visit a couple of shopping malls in Harare…compare and contrast with HighGlen.

Areas worth looking at include thee following:
1. Good Pub/Club.
2. Kids Entertainment.
3. Butcheries.
4. Food Courts.
5. Internet Cafes.

After investing you will need to be patient and one area you need to work on is Marketing…if you can market your business well hapana chinoramba.

A few years ago a friend of mine opened a butchery and a bottlestore…ndokubva azoisa ka braai stand. The braai stand became one of the most popular in Harare because it allowed folks to braai,have beer and socialise.

Pa braai stand apa unlike Mereki or Zindoga it was a do- it- yourself service and YES there are a lot of folks who like to braai on their own. The concept became extremely successful such that we ended up with folks driving from the City centre,Northn Surburbs too coming to the area. Truck drivers plying the Joburg Lusaka route started joining folks doing braai…vakatangawo kumira and enjoying the socialising part.

Waiti watenga nyama yako ..mumwewo atenga..wogocha at your own pace,enjoying debates dze soccer,politics,business everyone-Awesome stuff.

Then one day a certain manager wechichena from Old Mutual came…achiwona mhomho yevanhu ndokubva ati braai stand ngaibviswe! Yakabva yabviswa mafaro achiperawo…End of an Era!

Back to our Topic.
So I encourage you all to visit HighGlen shopping centre if you ever get time. Find out how you can invest at the area even usina hako shungu or short term plans to do so.

Online Shopping Malls.
This is for IT guys on the forum….how about creating a HighGlen..Sam Levy..Join City Shopping Mall? Consolidating all the Shopping Malls in Zim on one website. After the creation of the website you can then engage business owners at the respective shopping malls to advertise…initially for free and then at a fee?

Such a website will help consumers to know the location of various businesses at various shopping malls. For now ukandivhunza about businesses at LongChen iam likely to say the LongChen Hardware & IVATO Supermarket. Tumwe tumabusiness twuripo ndetwekungowonawo. Therefore ndikakwanisa kuenda ku LongChen Shopping Mall on the net ndoziva what else I can find at each shopping mall zvingabatsire chose.

Food for Though.

Enjoy your Sunday Good Folks![soliloquy id=”75″]

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