The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Correspondent
Mutare farmer-cum-businessman, Mr Richard Zengeni, has ventured into banana chips production and is reaping huge rewards from the fast growing business.
Twenty-five year old Mr Zengeni started his business venture by producing pickled okra and packaging it for supply to local supermarkets.
However, the Covid-19 national lockdown halted his business as he could no longer import the packaging materials required.
Months later, Mr Zengeni and his brother Tonderai teamed up with Messrs Tafadzwa Sebeya and Patrick Mambondiani to establish the Zeengaz Banana Chip Factory which does not require any imports.
The desire to add value to local produce spurred them into action. The company has the capacity to produce 1 000 boxes of banana chips a day. A box carries 20 packets and the company supplies several big supermarkets and wholesalers across the country.
The Manica Post Business recently caught up with Mr Zengeni.
The young entrepreneur revealed that 45 people are already employed under his project which was started from his rented Morningside room.
“It all started with two brothers, an idea and the US$23 that was meant for my rentals. Tonderai suggested that we venture into banana chips making since the lockdown had halted our other business.
“Using that small amount, we produced a few 50 grammes packets and sold them for a dollar each. Pastor Wilson Katumba ordered 20 packets and we approached Mutare Farm and Supplies. They embraced our project as we had been supplying them with pickled okra,” he said.
The young entrepreneurs have since moved to a factory in Mutare’s industrial area.
“The lockdown took a toll on us and we had to think outside the box and look for new challenges.
“We are all young people and if we managed to do this, then any other young person can also do it. Young people need to capacitate themselves. Sacrifice that lunch or airtime money, start a project and keep multiplying that money. You will end up employing other people. Do not wait for employment to be handed to you, employ yourself,” said Mr Zengeni.
“We are on an aggressive marketing drive as we are still expanding our market,” he said.
Apart from the production of banana chips, Mr Zengeni is also a co-founder of a Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe registered micro-finance company, Emperial Legacy Group Zimbabwe, which is trading as Legacy Finance.
Mr Zengeni is among the young Zimbabweans who is making use of the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) to unlock economic opportunities through value addition of locally available resources as his company buys the bananas from farmers across the province.
NDS1 focuses on raising farm output and efficiency as well as unlocking other economic opportunities.
It seeks to increase agricultural production and productivity to ensure food and nutrition security, enhance income, increase opportunities for value addition and develop agro-business value chains like the Zeengaz Banana Chip Factory.
