The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Correspondent
AT least 260 members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Mutare were recently trained on financial literacy by the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development in partnership with Old Mutual Zimbabwe Limited.
Addressing the last batch of the trainees at Mutare Hall last Friday, Old Mutual Zimbabwe Limited acting area manager, Ms Betty Njodzi said the trainings were a financial education initiative created to teach people on how to manage their finances.
“The programme is based on the behaviour of Africa’s Big Five animals. The unique characteristics of the Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino and Buffalo have been distilled to teach us how to manage our personal and family finances.
“Among other things, trainees are taught the importance of changing their financial behaviour and breaking old habits that get in the way of financial stability.
“After these trainings, people are expected to adopt new and healthy financial habits,” she said.
A total of 100 SME owners and 160 members of the ZRP were trained free of charge.
In an interview with Post Business, the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises business development officer, Mr Stephen Temayi said financial literacy will enable SMEs to make sound and informed financial decisions.
He said once someone in business is financially literate, they will be able to ensure that their businesses survive in any economic condition.
“These trainings capacitate our SMEs so that they make the right decisions in their operations.
“Once someone is capacitated with these skills, making the right decisions become easier.
“The trainings also prepare their businesses to survive even in unfavourable business environments.
“Moreover, these trainings capacitate SMEs to contribute meaningfully towards building the nation’s economy,” he said.
Chamber for Small to Medium Enterprises Mutare chairperson, Mrs Rosemary Kaisi-Shumba said the programme was long overdue since most entreprenuers never received any training before getting into business.
“SMEs are contributing a lot towards building the Zimbabwean economy, hence we need to be capacitated so that we can do even more.
“One of the chamber’s thrusts is to promote SMEs so that small businesses grow into medium enterprises and eventually into large ones.
“We can only achieve this through acquiring financial literacy skills and other crucial trainings.
“The trainings are already helping micro, small and medium enterprises to transform into formalised, productive, innovative, competitive, export based and growth oriented enterprises,” she said.
