We help entrepreneurs with a lot of resources and one of our major focus has been opportunities. What opportunities exist in Zimbabwe which can be tapped into? This website has a lot of them to inspire you. Our Facebook platform has covered thousands of opportunities since formation in 2015. Our various Whatsapp groups also add to our database of opportunities. On a yearly basis we publish books with a compilation of articles to inspire our members.

So how easy is it to run small scale mining operations in Zimbabwe? We asked our members the challenges they face in mining operations and below we feature their responses;

ZBIN Member 1:Hi in mining the deeper you go the more expenses you incur. So you need things like big pumps, generators, compressors and also need to mill on site. Capital is a major hindrance in mining projects.

Another challenge is management-most miners are not well versed with latest methods of management. They believe kuti chembere yepa Chegutu ine zamu one-mari yekuzorera.

ZBIN Member 2 :Finance to kick start their dream projects and also lack of equipment, machinery and tools.

ZBIN Member 3 : Working capital.

ZBIN Member 4 :The management method is a big issue because for one to inject capital on your project, you need to produce convincing production records or some kind of exploration work showing the potential of your mine and expected returns.

They are many miners who with proper guidance/ consultation/can be very successful. I think it is good for miners mining the same mineral to gang up and market their produce minerals like chrome, manganese and tantalite for export.

Buyers out there normally ask for reasonably big quantities which an ordinary miner find difficult to stack your small funds on huge quantities of product which you don’t have the capacity to produce as per international buyers minimum requirement.

I rarely contribute but I can tell you I’m learning a lot on the group about  mining, business and economics. I look forward to the weekend when great minds here would be discussing and explaining economics. Ndapota musandigumurawo mugroup.

ZBIN Member 5

1. Mining, Trading and export licences takes way too long.

2.MMCZ pricing formula for minerals is not competitive compared to the region.

3.Fuel is very expensive, production and transport cost therefore are also Uncompetitive

4.Rail infrastructure is broken,

5. Metallurgy department is incapacitated

6. Middlemen

7.There is no security of tenure,
8. Mashurugwi and corrupt police
9. Inconsistent policies are chasing away investors

ZBIN Member 6 :Apa I’m 100% with you. The change in policy overnight has got a lot of investors sitting on the sidelines or investing elsewhere. Pa policy pakaita clear a lot of things will happen here.

ZBIN Member 7 : For now I would say the current monetary policy/position has presented one of the biggest challenges for miners, and the economy at large. As an investment destination, Zimbabwe is categorised in the high risk zone. As such a lot of potentially huge projects are untapped.

ZBIN Member 8 :Kkkk mashurugwi ndicho chii?

ZBIN Member 9 : Mashurugwi they come and take staff rangu raive rine 80 grams.They are terrible, pa Saimona vakatema tema vanhu vaiva mugomba nemabhemba vakatora motoro ose
kwatinogaisira ndokuno fumurwa our results then they will come plus vanodyawo ne police so eish ma1.

ZBIN Member 10 :Ma shurugwi ane staera yavo vega. Up to today my head has scars to prove this😁
Eish vanhu ava ndevekumusha kwangu but hunhu hwacho hwatoenderera ndototya kushanda Midlands area.

ZBIN Member 11:Mashurugwi vanongosvika pagomba risiri ravo vodeedzera kuti chimbobudai timbopindawo and that’s it…ukada kuita nharo ipapo waparara.

Recommendation

These are just a few of the many responses covered by our mining groups with over 500 miners. The situation could be better if responsible authorities such as RBZ invest more funds in provision of support to miners such as literacy training, management courses, disaster preparedness, marketing, access to funds and machinery, security, company registrations, environment awareness and mining operations.

Simply buying minerals such as gold from miners is not enough, our miners are calling out for smart partnerships with relevant authorities so that they can professionally run their mining operations and help to create employment and improve the economic growth of the country.

Simply mentioning that we have disbursed $120m to small scale miners is not enough, we need to find out what more support miners have received and an improvement in their business operations so that issues such as the Kadoma Mine Disaster to not recur.

When authorities publish gold output figures, no one is asking them about the cost to the environment and the sustainability of mining operations and therefore questions should start to be asked on whether Fidelity is simply buying minerals without investing a penny on environmental issues. We need a restructure at Fidelity and other mining bodies and authorities.

Isn’t it a wonder that our local universities do not have any formal courses on Kombi businesses? Absolutely no course on running kombis or mshikashikas and yet this is one of the biggest sectors in the economy? Harare alone is estimated to have more than 10.000 kombis and an unknown huge number of mshikashikas(small unregistered taxis).

This is a sector that employs thousands of people and also helps to empower plenty. A diploma in running kombis would be a relevant qualification that ensures one gets employment or start own transport business.

Local colleges…wakey wakey or soon ZBIN will register as a college offering streetwise degrees and diplomas lol On a serious tip, we will grab half of the market share currently enjoyed by leading universities. Most of the local degree programs produce unemployed graduates and yet we have expanding business sectors such as kombis, mshikashikas,malayitsha where no formal education exist.

Will a Kombi Management Graduate(KMG) find no employment? Will a KMG fail to raise own funds to start a business? How many kombi owners are employing unqualified people? Will a KMG not find employment as a driver? Yes drivers are earning more than most formally employed people. Our college professors should think in other terms or they will lose out to street colleges which produce empowered graduates with skills to start own businesses or be employed in a fast expanding sector but lacking in terms professional skills.

Below we cover what universities should be covering.

What sort of advice would you give to a first timer Kombi owner?

Brain Dumira Please be the hwindi!

Simba Mutandwa Bad investment, prepare to suffer from hypertension.

Darlington Makaya When you see a missed call from the driver then know kuti ma 1 atanga. Lol

Frank Kalonde Buy Toyota Hiace Super 16s, ignore Quantums!

Chenjerai J Chikwangwani Takawira I have been in the business for 3 years now lessons acquired so far : 1. Put your drivers and conductors on funeral covers 2.always buy a new Kombi 
3.enjoy 20% and reinvest the rest
4.have an asset replacement reserve
5.Get all the papers
6.never be afraid to say you are fired

Simbarashe Tafirenyika Also got a qtn on kombi business,zvikubhadhara here these days?

Tnashe Aaron Basira Noone in our country offers a systematic mode of transport, why cant 1 stary a system whereby people can buy monthly tickets then the the transport provider just goes around set routes with set times picking up people. That way we will help employees save money, whilst making money as the transport provider

Rosemary Chiganze You will count cash everyday .invest the profits. know when to “harvest ” the business.inogona kuzodya mari yese yayakashanda.

Charlemaigne Alexander chakatanga ndochakachenjedza🙂.

Wellahz McWellennium My advice is: Be the mechanic, Traffic police, driver and hwindi at the same time, otherwise hapana zvawaita.

Tristan Knill Driver must obey all traffic rules

Ronald Mutumbi Mahwani ako atangidza.

Chenjerai J Chikwangwani Takawira Get all the papers 1) m.v insurance $86(2) m.v license 3) rank disc $75 (4) operators license 5) passenger insurance $204 6)route permit $75

Vickvock Samu make sure you service your vehicle timely, have correct papers (usaite hukopokopo), don’t put high targets or expectations (vakomana vanouraya vachida kubata target), be clear & specific to your employees or collegues, save something on daily basis.

Michael Zemura 1. Just know no matter how strict u a, they will still yawo yemusana. 2. Save save for the big repairs

Matthew Tinashe Nyaguze Don’t expect much, know when to change employees and know when to park the vehicle when it’s not working. Rather, do your accounts well and they will tell you whether to continue or move out of business while your vehicle has a good value. The biggest challenge is HR Relations.

MrWillies Chimuti u need to save a lot so that the kombis multiply cox kuti usagare pasi ivawo neakati wandei and also kana achiri mashoma the bad days anorwadza kupfura kunakidza kunoita the good ones so plix bro or sis save and save and save kusvika wane 10 or more then you can relax cox that business is stressing kana uine mashoma

Nyasha Sundai Dnt give your drivers a big target and always service yo kombi every 5000km and usangochinje chinje ma driver

Mupfumi FX Track your driver&conductor.. Usaite business iri nekuripira gotsi hoping kuti cash will just trickle in easily…

Have a fund for regular servicing.

Have an accumulating fund to buy another!

Trish Bruins Teach them manners.!!

Elvis Mazumba Service and makesure employ driver ari mature enough

Richard Vari first pinda wega pa road unyatsodoona kuti pakamira sei so that mangeana what ever your drivers bring home u dont think wabirwa. also your staff should be well behaved and should respect ma pasengers ndivo varungu vako..

Ashley Ndlovu tsvaga manager kana makombi ako ava 4 or more

Royel Damson You need to consider the route you want to service how good are the roads vs the money you will be getting… You don’t have to listen to your employees (driver and door men) unless what they are saying is making sense and its a fact. Personally u need to understand the whole transport system, remember that kombi business in Zim it’s not a formal job no matter mota yako ine maPaper ese be in a position to be a street player and deal with different situations accordingly. Have time to talk with other operators to know how they are doing it… Be simple, easy but strict.