City of Masvingo hosts capacity building and market linkages training for entrepreneurs and farmers

The City of Masvingo successfully hosted a two day capacity building and market linkages training aimed at empowering local entrepreneurs, farmers, processors, and agribusiness stakeholders with practical knowledge and skills to strengthen their enterprises and improve access to markets and finance.

Speaking during the training, Dr. Kingstone Mujeyi encouraged participants to embrace agriculture as a business and move beyond subsistence production. He highlighted the vast production opportunities available within the agricultural value chain and challenged farmers and entrepreneurs to adopt innovative, market-oriented approaches that increase productivity, profitability, and resilience.

“Agriculture must be treated as a business enterprise that creates wealth, employment, and economic transformation. There are immense opportunities in value addition, commercial production, and market-driven farming,” said Dr. Mujeyi.

Representing ZIMTRADE, Mr. Kinsley Gwatidzo delivered a presentation on demystifying export markets and export opportunities. He guided participants on how local producers and processors can position their products for regional and international markets through quality production, proper packaging, branding, and compliance with export standards.

Mr. Gwatidzo emphasized the importance of market intelligence and encouraged businesses to take advantage of export support platforms and trade promotion initiatives available through ZIMTRADE.

CBZ Bank Head of SMEs, Mr. B. Mukonzo, unpacked the topic of unlocking project finance and crafting winning project proposals. His presentation focused on equipping participants with knowledge on preparing bankable business proposals, understanding financing requirements, and improving financial management practices to attract investment and financial support.

He urged entrepreneurs to maintain proper business records and develop clear, realistic project plans that demonstrate sustainability and impact.

Adding a practical entrepreneurial perspective to the programme, Mr. Clever Garirofa of Global Harvest shared his inspiring entrepreneurship journey. He spoke candidly about the challenges, lessons, and successes he encountered while building his business, motivating participants to remain persistent, innovative, and focused despite obstacles.

Participants expressed appreciation for the training, noting that it provided valuable insights into business growth, financing opportunities, export readiness, and modern agricultural entrepreneurship.

The initiative was supported by the European Union, the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) and the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the GIZ GGLA Project under the City of Masvingo’s Local Economic Development (LED) Plan