MANAGER’S REMARKS

SMEs are generally thought to be the backbone of any healthy economy; they drive growth, provide employment opportunities and open new markets. SMEs already contribute more than 50% towards GDP.

Small and medium-sized enterprises or SMEs for short are extremely important for the economy. From local shops to small tech firms working out of serviced offices, the majority of companies in Zimbabwe are SMEs. In 2017, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) identified over 60 000 SMEs, making up 60% of all businesses in the country. There were thousands of (companies with 0-9 employees), which accounts for 60% of all businesses in the Zimbabwe.

SMEs operate in diverse sectors, such as textiles, agribusiness, information and communications technology (ICT), and construction.

WHAT REALLY ARE SMEs?

In Zimbabwe, ZIMRA classifies SMEs as businesses that employ between 5-40 people with annual turnover and assets from as low as $50,000 to $2 million.

Broadly speaking, there are two main types of businesses operating within the SME sector. The first is the informal ones these are unregulated businesses, usually run by people unemployed in the formal sector of the economy. Examples are tuck shops, hawkers, market gardeners, pavement sellers.

The second type which is often referred to as ‘modern SMEs’ – is particularly innovative where technology is concerned. They come up with creative solutions to old problems, and introduce new concepts or ways of doing things; most startups fall into this category.

HOW SMEs SUPPORT ECONOMIC GROWTH.

SMEs are generally thought to be the backbone of any healthy economy; they drive growth, provide employment opportunities and open new markets. SMEs already contribute more than 50% towards GDP, they also supply and anchor big retail businesses with products, services and even markets.

SMEs GENERATE LOTS OF EMPLOYMENT ACROSS.

SMEs also create a group of skilled and semi-skilled workers to support future industrial and business expansion, formal SMEs employ a staggering 70% of the workforce in Zimbabwe. Small businesses are particularly effective when it comes to supporting local economies; they bring growth, prosperity and innovation to areas outside of our main cities, which facilitates the equal distribution of income and wealth. Employing skillsets that would not necessarily be employed in the mainstream economy and providing needed experience to emerging workforces.

SMEs CREATE COMPETITION AND ENCOURAGES FURTHER INNOVATION.

SMEs provide the economy with a healthy supply of new skills and ideas and make the marketplace more dynamic, many innovations and inventions across the globe emanate from the SME sector and they disrupt markets and make lives easier for consumers at large. Clearly, SMEs have a firm foothold now, thanks to advances in technology. Entrepreneurs are identifying new markets and setting up SMEs to open up these new markets.

SMEs CAN RESPOND AND ADAPT QUICKLY TO CHANGES IN THE ECONOMY.

Because they are usually more customer-orientated or understand the needs of their local community, small businesses are more likely to survive economic downturns too. Across every sector SMEs dominate in quantity and that plays a huge role in their ability to react swiftly to market needs. Government has identified and noticed the importance of the sector with pronounced statutory policies that include a specific involvement in the National Development Strategy NDS1.

Awards And Accolades

• Junior City Councilor for the Bulawayo Ciy Council.

• In 2018 was selected in Africa’s 1000 entrepreneurs for the 2018 Tony Elumelu entrepreneurs’ foundation

• ZITF Innovators forum manufacturing 2019

• 2 hackthorns I have won

• ILO green enterprises most innovative green business runners up 2019

• Value creation challenge Zimbabwe overall winner 2022

• EY Africa innovators challenge 2022 top 4th position

• Top innovator 2022 African influencer awards.

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Briefly who is Msindazwe Ndhlovu and The Noble Savage?

MSINDAZWE NDHLOVU popularly known as the Active CEO, is a techpreneur, ecopreneur AFRI capitalist, an innovator and an entrepreneur. I love to solve problems for our day-to-day challenges. I was born and raised in Bulawayo Zimbabwe. At 17 I was elected to the Bulawayo junior city counci, l and at 19 I served as a missionary in the South Africa Durban Mission. This is where I had a lot of different responsibilities from trainer to district leader and zone leader where I can say I was described as a very solid missionary in my service. I believe these groomed me from an early stage to where I am today.

The noble savage is a construction company that makes innovative building materials that utilize waste to product. We recycle waste plastic and glass to manufacture eco-friendly building materials which are light, strong and durable to make rooftiles, pavers and kitchen countertops and we have prototyped a solar roof tile.

How did you get your idea or concepts for your business?

After visiting my aunt and a hailstorm destroying her roof I remember looking into her eyes and seeing so much pain, anguish, confusion and worry and I told myself no one should ever have to go through such and a miracle happened. I had a dream with detailed formulars and dimensions that I wrote down and I started working on it and that’s how I got my idea and every product I have done since then I dream it.

What was your mission on the outset /from start?

For me it was to make a roof tile that could be affordable and could withstand hail for my late aunt. To improve the quality of life by making world class glass building materials from waste.

How did you charter your business?

After having the dream in 2017 I started off doing experiments in Tlokweng in Botswana after hours till I got a few samples right then I kept developing this till we had good products. I then moved back home and started working from my parents back yard in Morningside. I would work through the night so that they don’t call the fire brigade on me and in April 2021 we got an industrial space.

How many employees?

Currently we employee 11 full time. And 80 in-direct commission based workers.

What services or products do you offer as business?

1. Waste management recycling of plastic, glass, cardboard box, cans

2. Kitchen counter tops.

3. Rooftiles (solar rooftile)

4. Pavers

To what do you attribute your success?

I attribute my success to 4 things:

1st is my father for pointing me towards the right direction he’s late but he’s the one who encouraged me to be an entrepreneur.

2nd Grit I am not the smartest person but I am the hardest working, I don’t quit till I solve the problem.

3rd Networks, your network is your net worth, being able to build networks and relationships with people.

People I can list Mr Zimutho of Desas panel beaters, Mkhululi Nyathi of Makadu Group, Rudo Mcloud Mungofa and Diana Shirto of Stimulus Africa, Jackson Dlomo, Mzingaye Ndlovu of Steward bank, Zibusiso of Ndeza Capital, my family and the team that I work with. Each one of these people have played a critical part in my journey as an entrepreneur through mentorship, guidance and helping me at times I felt like there was no way out.

4th Luck, luck favours the prepared for you to be lucky you need to lay the ground work so that you can be blessed with it. Every opportunity I have had I have had to sit down do my part and everything else falls in to place.That is luck because I prepared for this. I thank Tony Elumelu and Old Mutual Group and Zimtrade. Call it a sprinkle of luck!

What is your company’s goals?

Now we seek to be the leading producer of low-cost building materials that incorporate high technology to help accelerate Africa’s transition to clean renewable energy so that everyone achieves more.

Any uniqueness about your company?

We make products for the environmentally conscious individual who seeks for something astatically beautiful affordable and durable. Everything we make we use waste as our primary raw material.

What is your responsibility as the owner of your business?

I am the CEO my duty is divided in to 4 main responsibilities:

1st to grow the company

2nd management and operations to make sure the day to day running of the company are smooth and the managers are executing their responsibilities.

3rd this is my most important of all responsibilities is to innovate and make products that will make our quality of life enhanced

4th report to the board

What made you choose this type of business?

I did not choose it, it chose me. I never in the longest period of my life ever considered waste as a business till I had that dream. From then I have worked on that and my passion is to solve our waste challenge and make affordable building materials and help our vulnerable members of society make an income. For me money has never been the biggest driving force but making a change in the world so that no one should ever have to go through what my aunt went through.

Does your company help the community?

Yes we are big on cooperate responsibility we have created over 80 indirect jobs for the most vulnerable members of society and un- skilled people with no option to get an income. We are always constantly looking for ways we can work with the community through clean ups. We also regularly do the national clean ups and always work with organizations that do these.

Is the customer always right?

For us we don’t say they are wrong either but we make sure they leave happy.

If you had advice for someone just starting out, what would it be?

The greatest advice will have 3 parts

1. Just start its easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

2. Have a WHY because it gets hard and lonely depression is real but if you have your why that’s what will hold you to, the end when everyone has given up on you.

3. To the innovators remember you are not crazy make the things you wish someone had made for you.

What is in store for TNS in the future?

We are an innovative company and we are bringing tech to our building materials. And we are expanding across our boarders. And creating innovative workshops as we did with NUST last year.

Your social standing?

I am a religious man who is very involved in his community I volunteer with the police force BACForce (business against crime forum). I am active in my neighbourhood. I could say I am in good standing in my community.