Young people in Bulawayo have been encouraged to embrace vocational skills and entrepreneurship as a pathway to self-employment and economic growth, with stakeholders saying practical skills are transforming graduates from job seekers into business owners.
The call was made during the Bulawayo Project Centre (BPC) Exposition held on Thursday in Cowdray Park, where graduates showcased businesses they have established after completing vocational training programmes.
Held under the theme, “Empowering Youth, Growing Business and Strengthening the Community,” the expo celebrated young entrepreneurs who have turned vocational training into sustainable livelihoods.
Speaking at the event, Bulawayo Project Centre Director Maxmillion Moyo said the exposition was dedicated to graduates who had successfully translated their training into thriving enterprises.
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“This exposition is dedicated to our graduates. We have taken the bold step of transforming their training into thriving businesses. They are no longer just job seekers; they are job creators, innovators and community builders. Their courage and resilience remind us that skills are not just tools for survival but instruments for transformation,” he said.
“In Bulawayo Project Centre we have seen lives being transformed. Young people who have gone through our programmes become job creators, become self-employed and become masters of their own destiny.”
Moyo said the businesses on display demonstrated the importance of investing in young people and equipping them with practical, marketable skills.
“Today we see the fruits of that investment. These enterprises are proof that when young people are empowered and supported, they not only uplift themselves but also strengthen their families, their communities, our beloved city of Bulawayo and the nation as a whole,” he said.
He said BPC supports young entrepreneurs beyond training by helping them build sustainable businesses capable of creating employment and stimulating local economic development.
“We assist these young people in growing their businesses by nurturing enterprises that create jobs, generate income and stimulate local economies,” he said.
“Our impact extends beyond young people. Through our programmes we are strengthening communities by embedding these businesses within the social fabric and ensuring development is inclusive and sustainable.”
Moyo urged government ministries, schools, financial institutions and the private sector to continue supporting youth enterprise development.
“We call upon Government ministries to continue aligning policies with youth enterprise development. We call upon schools and educators to inspire young people to see skills as pathways to opportunity and to encourage vocational training as a viable livelihood option in Zimbabwe,” he said.
He also appealed to banks and private sector partners to improve access to finance and markets for graduates from vocational training centres.
“We also call upon banks and private sector partners to provide financial access and market linkages to these young people. We also call upon civil society and residents to support youth-owned businesses and make them pillars of our economic growth,” Moyo said.
A representative from the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training, Abigail Sibindi, urged young entrepreneurs to formalise their businesses, saying formal employment opportunities had become increasingly limited.
“The work that you are doing right now is important because employment opportunities are scarce these days. 67 percent of Zimbabwe’s population is made up of young people. We now have to work for ourselves, and the only way we can do that is by starting businesses,” Sibindi said.
“The small businesses we establish will employ us. The first step is to register your company so that you formalise your business and obtain a licence to operate.”
Sibindi said the ministry assists young entrepreneurs with company registration and encourages them to obtain tax clearance certificates.
“As the Youth Ministry we facilitate company registrations. Registering a Private Business Corporation costs US$60 for a sole trader, while registering a private limited company with two or more directors costs US$120. After that, you can obtain a tax clearance certificate from ZIMRA free of charge by following the required procedures,” she said.
Ward 28 Councillor Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu, said vocational skills and self-employment were becoming increasingly important for Zimbabwe’s future.
“Working with your hands is the future of Zimbabwe. Gone are the days when a person would go to college, learn theory and wait for employment. It is now time to create opportunities for ourselves. By using your own hands, you create your own employment and become your own boss. That is the future we envision for Zimbabwe,” Ndlovu said.
Chairperson of the National Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Advisory Council Dumisani Ncube, said communities have a responsibility to promote responsible entrepreneurship while safeguarding social values.
“Under Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises, a child belongs to the community. A person cannot sell alcohol or drugs to children simply to make money. Our culture rejects such behaviour, and the government is encouraging us to return to those values because every child belongs to the community,” Ncube said.
He said community participation would be key to building a resilient economy driven by entrepreneurship.
“That is why we are promoting community projects. As the President has said, a country is built by its owners, and the owners of this country are you and me. If we combine our efforts and change our mindsets, we can build an economy based on self-reliance. The world is moving towards self-sustenance, and if we embrace that, we will create more employers rather than employees,” Ncube said.
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