Bulawayo, (New Ziana) — Deserving entrepreneurs should not be excluded from economic opportunities simply because they lack information or access to financial markets, an official has said.
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Bulawayo Metropolitan province, Judith Ncube said this on Tuesday at a business meeting held in Bulawayo.
She urged aspiring entrepreneurs to take advantage of the recently launched Zimbabwe Entrepreneurship Exchange (ZEEX), which is designed to bridge the funding gap by providing small and medium enterprises, start-ups, innovators and manufacturers with structured financing opportunities to formalise, expand and create jobs.
“The new platform would broaden access to capital and open structured financing opportunities for small and medium enterprises, start-ups, innovators and manufacturers.
“Our Vision is to ensure that no deserving entrepreneur is left behind simply because they lack information or access to financial markets,” she said.
Ncube noted that the Second Republic continued to promote private sector-led growth, innovation, industrialisation and inclusive development as central pillars of national development.
“ZEEX speaks directly to that agenda by creating an ecosystem through which enterprises can secure structured financing and participate meaningfully in Zimbabwe’s economic transformation,” she said.
She said Bulawayo had a strong history of enterprise, innovation and resilience, but many promising businesses had failed to reach their full potential because of limited access to affordable and sustainable capital.
“Through this platform, our entrepreneurs, innovators, manufacturers, start-ups and small and medium enterprises will have access to structured financing opportunities that can enable them to formalise, expand operations, create employment and contribute more significantly to national development,” she said.
Ncube added that the exchange platform offered renewed hope to young people, women entrepreneurs, innovators and the growing SME sector, whose contribution to the economy continues to increase.
“We shall continue engaging local authorities, financial institutions, business organisations, educational institutions and development partners so that awareness of ZEEX reaches every entrepreneur across Bulawayo metropolitan province,” she said.
She implored local entrepreneurs to take advantage of the platform by strengthening corporate governance, improving financial discipline and preparing their enterprises to participate in the formal financial market.
New Ziana
