Government will this week host the inaugural National Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Cooperatives Indaba in Harare as it steps up efforts to strengthen the sector’s role in driving economic transformation and achieving Vision 2030.
The two-day event, scheduled for July 16 and 17 at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC), will bring together policymakers, industry leaders, development partners, investors and entrepreneurs to explore strategies for unlocking the full potential of MSMEs and cooperatives.
Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, said the inaugural event marks a significant milestone in Zimbabwe’s journey towards attaining Vision 2030.
“The Indaba has been conceived as a high-level strategic platform to strengthen the contribution of MSMEs and Cooperatives through enhanced policy dialogue, stakeholder collaboration and investment promotion,” she said.
Senator Mutsvangwa said Government recognises MSMEs and cooperatives as critical engines of employment creation, value addition, poverty reduction and inclusive economic growth, particularly among women, youths and rural communities.
She said the gathering seeks to strengthen the contribution of MSMEs and cooperatives to inclusive economic transformation through improved policy coherence, stronger stakeholder coordination and strategic partnerships aligned with the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
A key highlight of the Indaba will be the launch of the Revised National Cooperative Development Societies Policy, which is expected to provide a modern framework to guide the sustainable growth, governance and regulation of Zimbabwe’s cooperative sector.
“The revised policy provides a modern policy framework to guide the sustainable growth, governance and regulation of the cooperative sector,” Senator Mutsvangwa said.
Held under the theme, “Towards Vision 2030: Building an Enabling Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperatives Ecosystem,” the Indaba is expected to chart a roadmap for strengthening the competitiveness and resilience of MSMEs and cooperatives, reinforcing their role as key drivers of Zimbabwe’s industrialisation, job creation and inclusive economic growth.
Economist Persistence Gwanyanya said the Indaba comes at a critical time when Zimbabwe is seeking to accelerate industrialisation and broaden participation in the formal economy.
“MSMEs are the backbone of Zimbabwe’s economy, but their full potential can only be realised through policies that improve access to affordable finance, technology, markets and business development services. Bringing together Government, financiers, investors and entrepreneurs on one platform creates an opportunity to identify practical solutions that enhance productivity and competitiveness,” he said.
Gwanyanya said strengthening the MSME and cooperative sectors would not only create sustainable jobs but also deepen value addition, boost exports and widen the country’s tax base through increased formalisation.
The sector remains one of the country’s biggest economic pillars, contributing more than 60 percent of Zimbabwe’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and providing employment to over 70 percent of the national workforce. As such, recommendations from the Indaba could contribute significantly towards achieving the objectives of National Development Strategy 2 and the country’s Vision 2030 of becoming an upper-middle-income economy.
