By Ndumiso Tshuma
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has initiated a comprehensive training program aimed at equipping youth and women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to fully leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA).
The UNDP, in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs, held a training in Bulawayo on Friday and is set to roll out similar training programs across Zimbabwe to foster export readiness.
Ruvimbo Violet Katiyo, Head of Exploration at UNDP, said “This training is pivotal in empowering youth and women entrepreneurs to harness the potential of ACFTA. We are providing in-depth instruction on export management, branding, and logistics.”
Katiyo highlighted the transformative power of e-commerce for SMEs, asserting, “By utilising e-commerce platforms, businesses can expand their reach and tap into broader markets.”
The training encompasses practical skills such as designing e-commerce platforms using tools like Canva, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. By mastering these digital platforms, SMEs can effectively engage with a wider audience and sell their products across the continent.
Katiyo explained, “In e-commerce, we are training on how SMEs can use exciting platforms like Facebook, Whatsapp Business, Instagram Business, platforms like Canva, for them to design their e-commerce platforms and also for them to understand how you can leverage these platforms to reach a wider audience. When talking about the ACTFA we are looking at how we bring the continent together and trade with each other and how SMEs in the market trade their products to South Africa to Kenya, Tanzania to Ghana, it’s through e-commerce. You don’t have to always go to the trade fairs but you can leverage the power of social media to reach a new and wider audience and sell your business,” said Katiyo.
The ultimate goal of this initiative is to stimulate Zimbabwe’s economic growth through industrialization while leveraging global platforms and resources.
Katiyo assured that the training program will reach both urban and rural areas, ensuring inclusivity and equal opportunities for all. By partnering with vocational schools, UNDP aims to empower entrepreneurs in even the most remote regions of Zimbabwe.
