Staff Reporter

THE Professional SMEs Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PSCCI) has generated significant interest among local and regional businesses at the 2018 Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) exhibition.

Some of the partnerships being steered include training for SMEs, women and innovators with the creation of the Opportunities Database topping the list of services business people are clamouring for.

Renowned businesswomen have already accepted membership to join PSCCI Women’s Roundtable, which promises to be the most influential women’s business forums in Zimbabwe.

In an interview, PSCCI’s head of secretariat, Lucy Tandi said, “PSCCI was essentially founded to add value to your business by providing basic tools to start or grow a business.”

She added that most corporates have copied business ideas from SMEs and implemented them due to their financial muscle.

“Most SMEs have great business plans. But because they lack financial resources to implement, companies with financial resources end up copying such business plans, a disadvantage for SMEs.”

She added, “We therefore seek to represent small businesses from corporate bullying to ensure a level playing field for all business in Zimbabwe to enhance business synergies amongst SMEs and corporates.”

She said, “Due to the value chain that exists between SMEs and corporates, we therefore encourage our corporate partners to promote SMEs growth for the betterment of Zimbabwe.”

Expected to be officially launched this year, PSCCI aims to promote local and international trade on import and export trade between Zimbabwe and the world for the benefit of SMEs.

PSCCI was unveiled in July 2017 as a non-profit organisation whose mandate is to represent Micro-SMEs and SMEs in Zimbabwe through supporting its members in compliance and business development to become profit-making entities to help Zimbabwe come out of the doldrums towards a new economic trajectory.

Headquartered in Harare, the main task of the chamber is not only to be the voice of SMEs at national level but to promote business empowerment, vocational training, local and international trade, regional economic development and encouraging competitiveness through the organized business communities and networking.

SMEs have been in the past 10 years the backbone of Zimbabwe’s economy contributing over 50 percent of Zimbabwe’s economic output.

PSCCI provides assorted services to small business entrepreneurs representing small kiosks and shops to larger commercial companies.

PSCCI offers training to SMEs to help them develop a skilled and qualified team through a whole range of training activities and courses will be arranged in partnership with other training partners.

Training programs are targeted at all SMEs, women, youths and entrepreneurs on how to start and grow a business.

Training, Women’s Roundtable and Innovation Hub make up PSCCI’s three main organs.

PSCCI has three committees that strive to close the statistical gap lacking in providing exact statistics relating to SMEs in Zimbabwe through market research, collecting statistics and other information relating to, and of benefit to SMEs. These committees include Finance, Administration and Marketing, Resource Mobilisation not forgetting Public Relations, Membership and Training.

A powerful five-member board has been put in place, with provincial branches led by chamber CEOs in Bulawayo, Mutare and Bulawayo, headed by Sibusisiwe Chitewe, Nangisai Marange, Mr Mbizvo respectively, with seven more regional centres expected to open by year end. Membership registration and bookings are on going.