Simon Bere is on the record saying, “We came to Zimbabwe looking for business partners and opportunities. We did not see any opportunities or business partners but dealers!”.
This is partly true and partly untrue.
Partly true, in the sense that the Zimbabwean economy has seen a negative shift in the mindset of the private sector players. 90% of the business players have turned from producing products (goods) from a Zimbabwe base but have relied on imports.
Business people have resorted to importing products being produced from other countries and reselling them in the Zimbabwean market.
This has negatively affected the balance of imports and exports for our nation, Zimbabwe.
To reconcile with the statement made by Bere, if an investor comes to Zimbabwe, a local business man or woman will quickly resort to short term gains schemes where he or she does not want to be involved in the long-term vision of the investor but quick profit for themselves only.
Zimbabwe has lost the long-term visionary business people who would create generational businesses and create industries which promoted local production, which is the now key requirement for a continued growth of the local economy.
Foreign investors are failing to find key local business people who believe and have a mindset of a long-term business enterprise.
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Drama around Ndebele king making a mockery of the throne
- Bulls to charge into Zimbabwe gold stocks
- Ndiraya concerned as goals dry up
Keep Reading
This buy and sell model is for a short term purpose and is non-viable for foreign investors coming to Zimbabwe.
An individual, considered to be the wisest person ever to exist, once said, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.”
This statement gained and continues to attract much audience and popularity among the people on earth.
To a surprising dissatisfaction, the meaning of this assertion has been crippled by the majority, who only understand it from the lenses of material wealth.
The word “inheritance” has more than one single identity attached to it. Inheritance, from a family and daily life context, refers tothe (1) material wealth or property passed down from one generation to the next, (2) genetic traits or characteristics inherited from parents and (3) cultural or spiritual values, traditions or beliefs passed down through families or communities.
Looking, however, on the targeted path this article seeks to travel on, the concept of inheritance is being traversed on with much strong nescience and obliviousness in the economic affairs of Zimbabwe by its participants from both the formal and informal sector.
I, for one, believe in a co-existing relationship of a balanced formal and informal sector economic structure.
The imbalance is why Zimbabwe is moving with both the accelerator and brakes legs in relation to its growth and development.
It is an economic fight between selfless, genuine individuals against heartless individuals.
That is an issue for discussion for another day. To focus on the theme of the article, people have forgotten a true saying that says, “We are people because of people”.
Whatever situation we find ourselves in, be it a thriving economic environment or withering economic environment, it is solely our own responsibility as participants within the economic affairs of our country.
If every economic participant was to wear a father’s heart when conducting economic activities, Zimbabwe would the glorified state in Africa as we speak.
A father’s hat is simply the mindset liked to a father who leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.
It is a mindset that knows and understand that his or her manner of conduct in the economic affairs has a direct impact and is contagious to the next person.
If one individual starts to cut corners today in order to conduct his or her own economic activity, tomorrow there would be a mirage of the similar act by a different person.
At the end, it is everyone who suffers the negative blow as a consequence.
A father’s hat is a mindset that sets to incorporate a mindset for the private sector to create sustainable, long-term enterprises as compared to the “runners” mindset in conducting businesses.
Side hustles (projects), popularly known as “runners” businesses where it is basically buying and selling of products have temporary benefits for the ‘now’ moment but do not provide generational value within the economy.
It is time for the players within the private sector to return back to the old model of enterprising where a company could exist for a span of more than a decade; a business that could and can move from one generation to another.
The energy and passion put in establishing short term projects is the same energy needed to be put in projects than can outlive a generation within the economy.
While in the world of entrepreneurship where generational and short-term businesses have their own merits, generational businesses have a unique advantage when it comes to creating lasting impact, wealth and legacy.
The fruits of success are easily moveable between generations; a responsibility for the past to the present and the present to the future.
Generational businesses are enterprises that are built to last, with a focus on creating a legacy that transcends generations.
They prioritise long-term sustainability over short term gains, investing in people, processes and technology to ensure continued growth and success.
Short term businesses, on the other hand, are often focused on generating quick profits or exploiting market trends and often lack the staying power and impact of generational businesses.
In essence, what is required in Zimbabwe is to have private players who embrace a generational business mindset and moderately engage in runner businesses which serve only but a short-term purpose.
This is the father’s hat, which seeks to have a business running from one generation to another and runners’ (buy and sell) will not allow such model to be implement.
One may mention a billionaire global company such as Amazon that does not produce a product but has a generational model.
Remember, they do not buy and sell; they simply create a market for the buying and selling of products between manufacturers and customers, with of course runners are also involved and a part of the ecosystem of buying and selling.
Creating a marketplace for buyers and sellers to engage is a long-term version on its own as providing sellers the means to distribute their products is a considered long-term version where merchant activity will take place over a long period of time.
Without merchants, there is no economy!
To sum it up anyways, I am calling on all Zimbabwean private players to embrace and practice the long-term game and sustainable businesses.
We will be subtracting from the next generation if we are keen and keep on doing runners businesses. We need to do sustainable businesses and projects that outlive us.
Let us consider the future generation; the leaders we are creating today! With a father’s hat mindset that wants to pass to the next generation.
- Chengeta is a development practitioner, writer and public sector.
- These weekly articles are coordinated by LovemoreKadenge, an independent consultant, managing consultant of Zawale Consultants (Private) Limited, past president of the Zimbabwe Economics Society and past president of the Chartered Governance and Accountancy Institute in Zimbabwe. Email – kadenge.zes@gmail.com or Mobile No. +263 772 32 852
