By Flata Kavinga
The Zimbabwe Chamber of Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) says there is a need to identify and address challenges affecting the growth of medium enterprises to enable them to contribute more effectively to the national economy.
Zimbabwe Chamber of SMEs Kwekwe district chairperson Alfred Mkandla said this during a tour of medium enterprise industries in Kwekwe by officials from the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development.
The tour was aimed at assessing the performance of medium enterprises, understanding challenges affecting their operations and exploring ways of supporting their growth.
Mkandla said the visit was part of efforts to establish why some enterprises were failing to expand despite showing potential.
“We want to see exactly what the SMEs are doing because in this sector we have got micro, small to medium enterprises. Today we are visiting medium enterprises to see why they are not growing, how they can be made to grow and how they can support the national economy,” he said.
He said while many SMEs were producing goods and services, their growth was often limited by challenges related to workspace, access to information, marketing and financing.
“We are finding that they are working and doing very good things in their industries and shops, but it is limited. That is why we are touring these industries to see what challenges they face,” Mkandla said.
He added that the assessment would also look into whether enterprises had adequate facilities and access to working capital, as well as opportunities to link with other organisations and markets.
The Zimbabwe Chamber of SMEs, he said, works with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development in supporting enterprises across the country.
“The Zimbabwe Chamber of SMEs is a national organisation which is in all provinces of Zimbabwe. It cascades down to provinces and districts. Here in Kwekwe, we are Zimbabwe Chamber of SMEs Kwekwe District and we work hand in hand with the ministry,” he said.
