Over 30 local women entrepreneurs proudly graduated from the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), a programme which plays a pivotal role in transforming the business landscape for women in the country, providing them with the resources they need to thrive in both formal and informal economies.
AWE, a United States (US) Embassy initiative designed to empower women business owners, provided participants with the skills, tools and mentorship needed to enhance their businesses and drive economic change.
The graduates are now poised to make an even greater impact in their communities, continuing the work of turning challenges into opportunities and helping shape a more inclusive and economically stable future for all.
Reflecting on the transformative experience during the graduation ceremony held on Tuesday in Bulawayo, one of the AWE graduates, Buhlebenkosi Mhlanga, emphasised the importance of starting a business with a purpose.
“The key to success is to start before you are ready, and each day we are guided by these three questions: What are you fixing? What are you making? Who are you helping?” she said.
Mhlanga added it was inspiring to be in the company of “exceptional women of Bulawayo who, on a daily basis and often unnoticed, contribute towards turning the tide against poverty, hunger, malnutrition, and disease, and above all, economic instability.”
She further praised AWE for offering practical mentorship and skills training that gave her the confidence to grow her business responsibly.
“This programme has been a game-changer, realising that one can bring change to future generations,” Mhlanga said.
Director of Purse on Point and manager of the AWEI 2024 programme, Thubelihle Ndlovu, described the programme as an “inclusive learning community.”
“Today marks the fifth graduation of the AWE program in Zimbabwe, meaning we now have over 500 women who have gone through this programme,” she said.
Ndlovu shared the programme had attracted nearly 1 000 applicants in 2024, with only 105 women accepted after a rigorous selection process.
She highlighted the programme’s high success rate, with over 75 percent of graduates formalising and monetising their businesses, 30 percent hiring more staff and 90 percent increasing their earnings.
“For the first time this year, the programme introduced site visits to real businesses and stakeholder sessions with the city council, key institutions like the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) and the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), helping participants better understand compliance and formalisation,” Ndlovu said.
“The real hard work begins after graduation, when you start to feel the persistent urge to do things right and carve a path for your business because you’ve been exposed to so much.”
Ndlovu also praised the launch of seed funding for women entrepreneurs, with 12 women receiving US$1 000 each after succeeding in a pitch competition.
“We had six winners from Harare and we will have four winners today from Bulawayo and we had two winners from Mutare, already awarded.”
Several partners who have supported the AWE programme attended, including NMB Bank, a key sponsor for the past two years.
NMB branch manager and a former alumni, Ntombizami Nyathi, spoke about the importance of financial support for women entrepreneurs.
“At one bank I used to work some other time, we were given funds for women and those funds were going for five percent per annum. We waited for the women but they didn’t come,” she said.
“We went to structures looking for women who were in business to fund them. When we had quite a number together, guess what happened? Women didn’t have paperwork. Women are not recording anything. They were running wonderful powerful businesses but they were not recording anything anyway.”
Nyathi also stressed the importance of documentation.
“We were asking for even just a rough paper where they were just jotting something. Women didn’t have that and so the money went back. That’s why I am happy about this programme,” said the banker.
“As NMB we are here to make sure things are done right as well. Also as a bank we’re not only a bank that is looking for people’s money, we also support women programs and AWE is one of them.”
Nyathi said NMB has a dedicated head desk for women in business.
“Women who insure their businesses or equipment with us pay lower premiums, and we offer them loans at a reduced interest rate of seven percent compared to the 10 percent charged to males,” she said.
Nyathi also highlighted NMB’s recent acquisition of a US$5 million offshore credit facility aimed at supporting women SMEs in sectors such as agriculture and exports.
“I would love to see beneficiaries from this programme access this funding and take their businesses to new heights,” she added.
Public Diplomacy Officer for the US Embassy, Rebecca Archer-Knepper highlighted the necessity of networking.
“There are 430 graduates of this programme across Zimbabwe, and we’re working on building a database to help you connect with each other,” she said, encouraging the women to view each other not as competitors.
“Don’t think of all the people sitting here as your competition. They are all your network, who are going to help you succeed and you will help them succeed, which in turn helps Bulawayo businesses succeed, which grows Zimbabwe’s whole economy.”
