Helloand Welcometoour 2nd editionand I am elated to share with you this sizzling issueas we usherin October,jacarandasin full bloomwhichalso happens to beBreastCancerAwareness month.
Thank you so muchforbeing a part ofourcontinued journeyas weexpand onour readership baseyoudearreaderare appreciated.
Our focus as IShaH magazine is to recognise,promoteand supportfemaleentrepreneurs, who are creating lasting impressionsonthe economically.
I rememberreading somewhere that GingerRodgersdid everything Fred Astair did,but shedid it backwardsand in heels.
Thesewereclassicaldancersin the early 1940syet morecredit wasgiven toFred and not Ginger.
Thesamephenomenastill echo in presentday.Regardlessof geographicallocationwomen must work twiceashard just for recognitionasopposedto acceptancebeitin the corporate world orin positionsofinfluence.
Womenarerestricted totheless strenuousaspectsofworklife and as weare looking to feature thosetoughcookieswhodareto bedifferent. fromsmallscale manufacturing , farming and creatives,wewill becovering all areasof entrepreneurialskills.
Statistics say 95% ofwomen worldwidehaveacquiredaskill that is outsidetheireducational capacity.
This speaksvolumesaboutwhat the world will look like in the next 5 years....watchthisspace!
Thelate Africantheologian, Desmond Tutuoncesaid, “Ifwe are going toseereal developmentinthe world then ourbestinvestmentis women” –Yes!
Whena womanthrivesthe whole communitybenefits.Whenfemale entrepreneurssucceed,theyare morelikely to investback into their families and communitiesinto education,nutrition, wellbeing and children’s health. Now that’s development!
ln this month'sissuewewill be exploring thewomenwho have raised the barand forged ahead in businessventuresthat traditionally meantformen.
On ourcoveris Paula Mazvita Marowawhois trail blazing in the leatherfields(literally!)
We arealso chasing womenin agriculture;motormechanicsand wetouchon careerdevelopment on ourEntrepreneurscorner
And in ourentertainmentcorner wehave theaudaciousAnita Jaxsonas shetakesus ona ride exploring endorsementsand branding.
Once again welcome to iShaH, we love, and we appreciate youfor being a part ofour journey.
“Communications, Marketing and Advertising are indispensabletools towards success and growth in any business venture…”
Darik Solutions in Partnership withZim Women –Led Micro Enterprises offers adiverse rangeofbusinessand marketingsolutions,strategiesandideas thatare customised to meetour clients’ standards and exceed their expectations.
Zim Women-Led Micro Enterprises is a Proudly Zimbabwean,100% female owned company located in Harare, registered as a private company.
We are a team of multi-skilled staff members who have a fresh, innovative and diverse approach to working and always willing to put in the extra time and attention to ensure great service delivery on time.
OUR VISION is driven by the passion to inspire, assist and elevate women business enterprises by forming strategic collaborations that will yield multiple benefits of success and growth for all, and our mission is being committed to create women leaders, employment and increase growth of women entrepreneurs.
In partnership with other related individuals, organizations, corporate and the government we intend to empower more women into entrepreneurship & creating platforms to grow and establish their businesses.
Welcometotheentrepreneur'sden…
PUBLISHING EDITOR
Victoria Chidarikire info@ishahmagazine.co.zw +263 772 313 445
EDITORIAL
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Herzel Mushayabasa Tanatswa Mukwacha Shantel Nyaumwe Panashe Gurira AgnettaMujongonde
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Paula Mazvita Marowa Founder & M D Rukanda Pride
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Our aim is to tap into the export market through trade fairs and occupy a bigger share of the local market .Paula Mazvita Marowa, Founder & Managing Director of Rukanda Pride SURVIVINGA NICHEMARKET BUSINESS
Who is Paula Mazvita Marowa ?
Paula Mazvita is a 26year old girl who was born in a family of three girls. She is the founder and Executive Director of Rukanda Pride, a leather products manufacturing and retailing company and she has a diploma in business administration so far on educational qualifications. We took time to interview her and this is what she had to share with us
IM: What was the inspiration behind the name Rukanda Pride?
PM : Rukanda means leather (Ganda) and people from Masvingo province call it Rukanda. So, I needed a name that resonates with the product itself., in a nutshell it is the pride we take in the African leather.
IM : Ok from sole trader to CEO of Rukanda Pride, tell us about the journey?
PM : Before becoming an entrepreneur, I worked in Victoria Falls for a year as an administrator. I came back to Harare and worked for a company called Vision Consultancy Africa (VCA) as a call agent.
Took money out of my savings and started my entrepreneurial journey by going to South Africa to get baby wear and sell from Kwame mall, which was a very busy marketplace for small businesses in buying and selling.
I saved enough and grew out of Kwame mall and found opportunities in the leather industry.
IM ; Manufacturing leather falls under niche market business?
How did you get to choose it as your main material used in production?
PM : If you noticed ,leather products most people buy it when they travel outside of the country as they come back home, so I saw the gap and opportunity and simply went for it as my target market and main material used in production.
My other decision was also research based and it showed me that luxurious leather products are often viewed as a style statement and status symbol meaning our customers are willing to spend more money to achieve that.
Our target market is the middle to high income earners with a taste for bespoke products.
The global leather goods market size was valued at USD 394.12 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9% from 2021 to 2028
The market is mainly driven by rising consumer disposable income, improved living standards, changing fashion trends, and growing domestic and international tourism.
The rising demand for comfortable, trendy, and fancy leather apparel, footwear, and accessories, is expected to have a positive impact on the market.
The rising demand for contemporary designs offered by prominent international brands, such as Giorgio Armani, Burberry, Prada, and Dolce & Gabbana, is driving the demand for various leather goods, including apparel, footwear, and accessories, This highly influenced my choice of leather production.
IM : Which piece would you say is the bestseller from the Rukanda Pride collection ?
PM : I would say wallets and bags, and wallets mainly customers are man and women usually come in for bags.
Our collection includes also shoes jackets, hats and suitcases. Categories include for smart casual and formal attires.
IM : I understand all your products are designed and sewn by hand.
How long does it take to make a custom bag? And to date how many people do you employ?
PM : Approximately 7-8 hours of non-interrupted production, from patterning to assembling.
We are a team of eight including myself as the executive director. We got three in production and one each in the finance, sales, marketing and creative designing.
IM: What are the processes involved In the creation of your pieces?
▪ Designing (Creating Master Patterns) ▪ Cutting ▪ Assembling ▪ Stitching ▪ Quality Control
IM : And are you also dealing with the regional & international markets?
PM : Definitely! For now we take in individual orders from those across the boarders and we seek to grow, expand and be innovative enough to deliver remarkable real leather products to satisfy today’s customer within the boarders of Africa and beyond..
Our aim is to tap into the export market through trade fairs and occupy a bigger share of the local market ,
IM : Customers love your Mfuko Collection, what inspires the shades that are far from the traditional color of leather?
PM: The inspiration is drawn from the natural robust colors of the African leather
A lot of people do like it very much and surprisingly at some point the collection had the most monthly sales ,for three consecutive months.
It is also my personal favorite for its uniqueness and adding more variety to our collections.
IM: What challenges have you faced in an industry that has been largely dominated by men ?
• First, breaking out in the market because most of our local people are very skeptical about local brands.
• The need to be extremely principled to avoid being taken advantage of.
• The need to prove yourself that you can do it.
• Dealing with male subordinates that are older than you. You find that you’d need to grow a thick skin,
IM: What advice would you give to women entrepreneurs with inspirations to become niche market business owners.
PM : You need to grow a thick skin especially if you’re a female in a male dominated industry and never be afraid to take risks.
Maintain quality, some products like leather have a lifetime guarantee so you’d need to give your clients a lifetime experience of great quality.
They should be able to enjoy your products even after so many years.
Never giveup, Romewasn’t built in a day. Continuously learn and apply innovation
The past year into 2022 2022 has proved to be a great year for women in business across the country
Michelle is a 35-year-old mother of 2 beautiful boys and a full-time farmer. We were privileged to have a chat with her.
IM: How did you venture into farming, share a background of how it started?
MG: I found myself on the farm after a traumatic personal experience. I was going through a divorce; I didn’t know if I was coming or going and really needed solitude to kind of figure out the next steps of my life.
I got to the farm in September 2019 intending to only take a breather for a week and come back and to this day l just never left !
IM: What sort of farming are you into and did you have to go through any outsourcing of funding to start up your farming projects?
MG: Our farming venture is fully commercial farming. We started small in 2019 just managing to do 11 hectares of commercial maize in that first season.
We have now grown from that first 11 hectares to 70 hectares in this coming summer season. Our crops have also grown in diversity. We are now doing horticulture (cabbages and tomatoes), sugar beans, soya beans, green mealies, tobacco and seed maize.
We also have a small cattle project that we recently started, and we will be venturing into goat farming and poultry.
IM: So, what kind of farming are you into and did you get to go to school study agriculture as a business or passion helped?
When we initially started in 2019, we self funded from my own pocket with the help of my siblings and my mother.
We then went on to be contracted under command agriculture which is government funding.
As we diverse and grow we have had the privilege of being part of a strong network of farmers, companies and banks who support and finance out growers such as ourselves.
IM: In your own opinion does one have to compulsorily go to an Agriculture school to make it in this Business in Zimbabwe?
MG: “I have no agricultural education. It’s all been passion, a lot of reading and research, the internet must be your best friend. A strong understanding of money and how money works.
Finally, a strong team who have experience and knowledge of what you are trying to achieve.
TEL :+263 775 222 627
MG: I think it’s always important to be well equipped and educated about any business venture you may want to venture into.
I feel like if I had had some sort of agricultural training it would have saved us a lot of money we wasted on trail and error. But the internet is your friend, lots of training tools can be found there, lots of videos.
• An accounting and management background is also imperative for any start up.
• You must understand how and where your money is working.
• You must understand pay back periods and interest on loans before you commit yourself.
• You must understand profit margins
You also must understand that farming is a business, and any business must make PROFIT..
IM: As a female in the farming industry what are the challenges you have faced, or you are facing in agribusiness, what advice can you give to those who want to become full time professional farmers?
MG: Biggest challenge I have faced as a female farmer is stereotypes. Our society tends to stereotype certain professions in boxes for certain genders. Also, the ideology that if a woman is doing well in a certain field, she is someone influential daughter or wife.
The biggest advice I would like to give anyone who wants to do any sort of business is, “ do not mix economics/business and politics.”
Yes, there is a correlation, but your political affiliation has nothing to do with which area of business you can venture into.
Your gender has nothing to do with what field of business you want to venture into and lastly your background does not determine your future. You can be whatever and whoever you want to be.
MG: How do you maintain your clientele given the rate of competition in this field that you are in?
MG: We are blessed to be contract farming for 80% of the crops that we grow. What it means is we have secured the market before the seeds go into the ground. This is extremely important in our field of business because most of what we grow is perishable.
The 20% we grow only when we have researched markets, seasons and times and we grow knowing that there is either a shortage of this commodity or we anticipate that in the time it comes out the field there is a ready market.
This is mostly our horticultural produce like our green mealies, tomatoes and cabbages.
IM: What can you say is your main business secret?
MG: My main business secret is easy. CONSISTENCY, COMMITMENT and PASSION.
You must be consistent in what you do. Remember its a full-time job there’s no time to wake up just not feeling like working.
You must be committed, and this means even when you are making a loss be able to look ahead and keep planning ahead past that loss.
Lastly passionate, you just must learn to love what you do. Once you have passion I promise you half the work is done.
Fears??? I fear nothing. I am exactly where I’m supposed to be doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.
Setbacks come along the way as expected in anything in life really, but we wake up the next day and we try again, and we try harder.
There is nothing to fear really, I am in the business of feeding the nation, contributing to hunger eradication in my country and my community, I am here to change the narrative of the girl child, ending child marriages and ending gender-based violence but showing young girls that your brain and your hands are all you need to change your situation.
I’m doing all this while making money and building an empire and legacy for my children.
I’m not scared. I’m excited.
IM: What can we say are some of the fears that you have in business?
nternational Women’s Day is a global holiday celebrated annually on the 8th of March I to commemorate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women.
Her name is Memory Bere popularly known as Memo Makanika “Chimhamha Chesimbi”. A motor mechanic who fixes both petrol and diesel light vehicles.
She was born and bred in Chipinge and the last born from a family of four with two girls and two boys. She got her primary and secondary education in that small town.
IM: How you did start setting up your own workshop in brief.
MM: When I finished high school, I made a decision to go study mechanics at a college and obtained my certificate.
However, after obtaining my certificate, it was not easy for me to get a job here in Zimbabwe due to the nature of the job as it is a male dominated field.
This is when I decided to go to South Africa, where it was not easy for me to get the job for the main issue is the same with this type of job ,but in S.A the industry is huge, so l managed to secure my first job.
I worked in Durban at one of the biggest workshops for motor mechanics. This is where I was groomed to be the motor mechanic expert that I am today.
I worked in South Africa for a five years, and recently came back to Zimbabwe in 2022 because, I felt it is the right time to start a business in my home country so as to inspire and encourage young women who also want to venture motor mechanics or other related industries.
The goal is to inspire them that if I can do it, then they can do it too.
IM: Considering that the motor mechanics field is mainly male dominated what drove/inspired you to become a one of the few women who defied the odds
MM: What drove me to be a motor mechanic is that growing up, my father used to have a Dustan 1500 and we used to call it a skoro skoro car because that car used to give him problems each time and ended up taking it for service several times.
My father not being a motor mechanic, he would still fix his car by himself and whenever he would, I was always by his side as he always asked me to pass him tools.
Through assisting him, I identified a few tricks in the process and learned how to loosen or tighten bolts, and handling the spanner.
Due to this ,I fell in love with cars and the environment. So, quite frankly my father played a role in making me be passionate about motor mechanics.
At an early stage as young as grade five l was already practicing to do small task such as loosening bolts and removing tires.
IM: Considering it was a daring career, did your family accept your career path and if so, what support did they provide you with?
MM: Considering that motor mechanics is a male dominated field it’s not easy especially in our communities and family to accept a woman who wants to be a motor mechanic.
My family did not approve it or accept my choice of career path but because of the support I was getting from my father as the head of the family, everyone had to come to an understanding .
My mother it was difficult for her to accept it as she wanted me to be a nurse since she is also a nurse but after she realized that my father was giving me all his support I needed ,she ended up accepting and gave me her blessing.
The whole family encouraged me to go and study for mechanics as it was something I was very passionate about.
IM: How did you manage to stay positive within the line of your career and what ways can you tell that helped you with improving your skills?
MM: What made me stay positive in my career, I would say it is the fact that part of my principles do not allow me to give up easily, so I worked extra hard to prove to my male colleagues that I am also cable of doing what they can do, and I give all glory to the almighty because he has given me the strength to stand for myself.
There were a lot of people who expected me to quit and see my hitting rock bottom to give up, but God kept me going.
I had several people discouraging because I chose motor expected me to quit
IM: You have been in the mechanics field for over 10 years now , so what are the biggest challenges you have faced throughout your career and what challenges do you feel you still have to conquer?
MM: Being afemale motor mechanics is not easy to begin with for it’s a men environment 90% . So, I would say yes, I have faced a few challenges and one of the biggest challenges was to find another female mechanic to look up to for advice and inspiration, basically l lacked mentorship.
Being a female motor mechanics is not easy to begin with for it’s a men environment 90% ,So I would say yes, I have faced a few challenges and one of the biggest challenges was to find another female mechanic to look up to for advice and inspiration, basically l lacked mentorship.
Other major obstacles include lack of support as the male colleagues constantly doubted my capabilities as well as disrespecting me in a way of undermining my efforts.
The most unspoken of is “sexual harassment” which is very common, but the society never really open to its serious discussion and awareness.
IM: Who do you look up-to and what makes you stay motivated ?
MM: I really look up-to my father, I am where I am today because of him. .He started the journey with me and still is part of the journey as he supports me to get my ambitions on track.
My intentions also include inspiring young girls so that they understand they is no reason to give up if they have any dream to chase , even if it means breaking barriers on being the first female to be involved in it.
Women lately have been breaking barriers in many ways through their careers and businesses,
IM: What are some of the things that you see yourself archiving in the years in building a society that accepts people for their skills rather than their gender.?
MM: I want to try and groom a lot of female mechanics around Zimbabwe and if God allows My biggest dream is to start one of the biggest workshops in Africa to accommodate only female mechanics.
I would like to travel in schools around Zimbabwe and train young women & girls that are interested in pursuing jobs or securing careers in mechanics or any other male dominated industry.
This will include advocacy whilst engaging with parents on how they can support the girl child when they choose to pursue a career in a male dominated industry, and this encompasses other fields such as carpentry & construction etc.
IM: Do you think that the society is ready to accept female mechanics and how best can we promote inclusivity?
MM: It is hard to be a female motor mechanics especially here in Zimbabwe because funny enough, this may sound petty, but it is indeed one of the most repeatedly faced problem.
Most end up thinking I am having an affair with their man, for it is mainly the men who usually come to get the cars fixed.
I have seen that most women do not believe that there is a female mechanic and that shows that our society is not ready to accept female mechanics, as much as l thought, maybe with time eventually we will be identified.
Article by Panashe Gurira Editorial Team MemberIN CONCLUSION WE WISH YOU THE BEST IN ALL YOUR DREAM CHASING JOURNEY!
When most people think of a motor mechanic, what they often visualize is a man covered in grime and grease the idea of a woman under the hood is still strange to many people.
Memory Bere, however, is not the stereotypical mechanic.
She is among a growing number of female motor mechanics smashing gender bias and driving change in the male-dominated automotive repair and maintenance industry.
Her ambition is to encourage more women to becomemotor mechanics.
Roughly two years ago, she Rose to fame with her single “Unonzani” . Which became a hit soon after release and opened doors for Anita Jaxson. Born November 26, 1998, making her 23 years old today, Anita been active in music since 2018 but her silence was broken in 2020 when the hit song with Jah Master a local Zim Dancehall artist came out
She is most known for her dancehall music style which she has turned versatile lately, by blending in with Afro-pop ,Fusion and Beats.
She says her inspiration is the American born & award-winning music sensation Adele.
Up to today Anita has released almost twenty singles withing 4 years, which is considered hard work in the music industry and most of them making it, at the top trending hits in Zimbabwe.
We sat with Anita Jaxson for an interview on a Monday, which is mainly one of the less busy days when she has no bookings.
IM: Who is Anita Jaxson as an artist? Define yourselfin fivewords..
AJJ : AnitaJaxson is a singer and songwriter ; The stage name is my actual name. Anita is openminded, creative , adventurous , ambitious and a music lover
Wild Aid Zimbabwe Ambassador
IM: People takemusic as something that can not be a full-timecareer? What haveyou got to say about that
AJ : That I can regard as a typical and stereotyped mindset of our grandparents' generation and the ones before them too, being a musician was regarded as something not worthy, and embarrassing to the family.
To take on as a career whilst other peoples children choose to be teachers, nursers and the over achievers were doctors and bankers.
IM: As a musician how are brand endorsement deals aiding in your upkeep?
AJ : Music is my job, career and business now, so endorsements help because they are growing my brand and you become more than just an artist.
Almost as important as it is to build your business in any business, it is also important to create and manage a personal brand because most times as an entrepreneur when you go out there to sell your business, you are also selling yourself.
Endorsements have been playing a big role by, improving my work opportunities
IM: Let’s talk about your latest partnership with Wild Aid, how has that been going?
AJ : My partnership with Wild Aid has been a great experience. I am beyond blessed to be part of a family that specializes in protecting Wild animals and showing the world what beautiful creations, we have on our planet.
Our goal is to spread awareness about wildlife as well save them from dangers such as poaching which is a great initiative currently for, they has been a rise in illegal activities regarding wildlife such as poaching.
We are raising awareness to protect our nature/environment.
IM: What has been themajor benefit of being a Wild Aid ambassador?
AJ : I have been benefiting by getting to
1. Traveling around the world
I get to travel the world as we do photoshoots and engage awareness on wildlife protection.
2. My adventures turned into work
I chose Wild Aid because not only do I love wildlife, but I also truly believe that animals should be protected.
3. Supporting my country tourism
I encourage my fellow Zimbabweans to travel around our beautiful country and see what amazing animals we have in our game parks and the wild, we will understand the reason to protect them.
IM: You recently performed at the Wild Aid concert lighted on the weather channel. How has that helped you in terms of exposure?
AJ : It has helped tremendously. I got exposed to a larger audience and performing in front of a multicultural audience was such and honor and unforgettable experience. I got to associate with different people from across the world.
IM: Besides the latest endorsements with Wild Aid? Tell us about other partnerships you are working with..
AJ : Yes, I have been e very fortunate and actively working with brands such as TECNO, itel, National Building Society, Monsta Wear, Charlie Stevens International just to mention those few.
This year has been the most active on brand endorsements and partnerships with corporates, individuals amongst others.
IM: What are the challenges you have faced as a female musician ; we understand theZimbabwe musicindustry is more maledominated?
AJ : The industry has never really been an easy journey for female musicians. Some females are taken for granted and sometimes they are only promoted when forced to do things that they are uncomfortable with.
However, I always encourage women to stand their ground and respect themselves, hard work will always pay off.
IM: Describe the music business in your own words? How large is theindustry & does it come with having to be trained and educated ?
AJ : When you are in the music industry you have influence, to encourage people or for some big artists we can maybe call it power resulting to it even being called a cult following, e.g., Beyonce, Nicki Minaj they sort of people who even worship them.
I its very big you gain a lot of influence and when in such a position you need to be wise, humble and surround yourself with the right kind of mentors to guide you in the right direction on how you present or share your influence to people who are inspired by you.
Guidance and getting educated is always a plus coming from even the team that manages you falling into saying they is a whole business behind you as a musician.
People see you when you out there as an individual, but your team is the whole business.
As far as education is concerned, it is a right choice because as artists we can not only depend on music as the main contributor to your income, for we are all aware its short-lived career just like football but not contradicting myself yes indeed, music is a business you can make a living out of it , if you work professionally with the right management structure..
Lastly you need people who should keep you grounded because sometimes fame gets to your head as we think we are most of the untouchable people in the world. Having a great team even helps you when you are in your darkest moments for some even go through depression and the most common one which is social media bullying.
IM: Encourage Zimbabwean aspiring female artists in particular , who would want to be where you are now with music?
AJ: Everyone's journey is different, but I encourage them work harder and have the right people by your side. All the glitter is not gold so be ready to embrace th3 ups and downs that come with it
Never take any chance for granted and just be you Its never going to be a walk in the park Giveeverything !!
The Ministry of Women Community Small and Medium Enterprises Development continues to support the National Development Strategy.
It is with best interest that the National Development Strategy(NDS1:2021-2025) has apparently set achievement standards which proves to be realistically achievable by the emergence of vast Small and midsize enterprises (SMEs).
Worthy to mention are the characteristics of (SMEs) which are maintaining revenues, assets or several employees below a certain threshold. Generally, it is nature is entrepreneurial to shape innovation.
Echoing the (NDS1:2021-2025), it is an important factor to be able to achieve an empowered, prosperous upper middle-Income society by 2030. The mantra is to create new wealth creation and expanding horizons of economic opportunities for all Zimbabweans, with no one left behind.
Surprisingly, the emergence of SMEs has made the apparent goal easier to meet. Looking at the current aim of resuscitating the once neglected Mupedzanhamo, the Ministry of Women affairs conducted a survey specifically concentrating on Mupedzanhamo marketplace and Glenview furniture complex.
The ministry has noted the gross negligence, lack of order and sanity which has bombarded the Mupedzanhamo marketplace.
With great effort they have managed to engage with Government Department stakeholders such as The Ministry of local government and public works and Ministry of Housing and Social Amenities, Office of the Minister of State for Harare Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Zimbabwe Republic Police, and city of Harare with an aim to resuscitate SMEs workplace facilities order.
With reference to the (NDS1), the emergence of the MSME sector is crucial in promoting employment creation and inclusive growth.
The availability of SMEs has promoted local business. An increase in local businesses comes with an increase in the number of available local jobs
Hence there is often a reduction of the amount of traveling and commuting that employees need to do to get to work. By opening local job facilities, unemployment rate can start to decrease.
There is also an increase tax base within small businesses which generates revenue that converts to local taxes, thus feeding the local economy to create a better business within the community.
This is clearly stated in the NDS1:2021-2025 that its goal is to march towards achieving an upper middle-income society whilst addressing the global aspirations of the sustainable development of (SDGs) and Africa Agenda 2063
The aim to create an environment critical for transformative economic growth is being reflected by the mere effort to bring back to life as the Ministry of Women affairs is currently in action.
Zimbabwe senior netball team assistant coach Tatenda Shinya cannot hide his ecstasy after leading the squad to its second World Cup tournament to staged in South Africa next year.
Zimbabwe earned next year’s world cup qualification last week Saturday when they defeated Zambia 59-41 in a third-place play-off match at the Africa Netball World Cup Qualifiers held in Pretoria.
In the first match of the final day of the Netball World Cup 2023 (NWC2023) Qualifiers – Africa Zimbabwe and Zambia battled it out for the last place at the NWC2023
It was an unsettled start for both teams, with unforced errors creeping in throughout the court. However, as the nerves settled midway into the first quarter, it was Zimbabwe that took the marginal lead as they began to find their clinical shooters with ease.
The Gems had to toil for the ticket to Cape Town after they were eliminated in the semifinal by Malawi, but the defeat did not deter the Gems' ambitions for a second World cup appearance.
imbabwe, who made their debut appearance at the global fiesta in 2019, and will join South Africa, Uganda
and Malawi as the continental representatives. Words from the coach,
For Tatenda Shinya the qualifying marked another milestone achievement in his fledgling coaching career.
Shinya said the qualification to the netball world cup in Cape Town next was through hard work and determination exhibited by the girls ,
"I cannot believe that we have qualified. We came here with one major goal, and we have achieved that. It's all thanks to the ladies who have worked hard through the qualification phase," said Tatenda Shinya.
The Gems had to toil for the ticket to Cape Town after they were eliminated in the semifinal by Malawi, but the defeat did not deter the Gems' ambitions for a second World cup appearance.
Zimbabwe will be looking to better their eighth position they finished at the vitality netball world cup in 2019
Shinya said the team will be in Cape Town to compete not to make up numbers. ‘We will not rest. We are planning to have periodic camps until World Cup commences next year. We are looking to better the 2019 position," he said.
The Gems regrouped in Harare for the diamond series to be held in South Africa .
The series against South Africa, Zambia and Namibia will be part of the preparations for the World Cup.
Zimbabwe Captain Felistas Kwangwa appealed for support from the cooperate World.
"It has not sunk in yet. I was part of the team in 2019 as an assistant Captain. I will go next year as the captain which is an achievement for me. I call on companies to support our journey as the Gems," said Kwangwa
The Gems have been rewarded by the government following their recent qualification for the World Cup 2023 slated for Cape Town, South Africa.
The Gems received a bonus of US$11 000 from the Sports Minister Kirsty Coventry.
The victory saw Zimbabwe qualify for the global prestigious competition two times in a row after their debut qualification at the 2019 World Cup hosted by England in Liverpool.
Next year’s netball World Cup tournament is scheduled to start from 28 July to 6 August 2023 at the International Convention Center in Cape Town.
Wish them all the best as they prepare for next year’s World Cup Tournament !!!
Imelda Tsumba is the Founder and CEO of Legacy Urithi International, a nonprofit organization.
She is an Author and professional counsellor who holds a Masters Degree in Christian Counselling with Logos Christian College, USA. She is a Haggai Institute Alumni (Singapore). Imelda is passionate about raising leaders for the next generation.
Married to Pastor Leo Tsumba for over 40 years, they were blessed with four lovely children and 4 beautiful grandchildren. Imelda Tsumba has written 43 books and one more in the editing process..
One of her books, 'The Unexpected', is about how she dealt with the sudden death of their Late Son, (Taffy) Tafadzwa, who passed on 10 November 2010 and 2014, she was featured in the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper, Independent Executive, May 30 to June 5, 2014, under PROFILE OF THE WEEK, AMHHeartbeat of a nation.
Zimbabwean Women 2014
In 2018, she was given a Certificate of Recognition by Woman Excel and featured in the Woman ExcelThe Book of Successful Zimbabwean Women. Advancing Through Relationships. Volume 2:2018
Imelda was a recipient of two Highly Prestigious Awards, namely:
1 - Woman of the Year Award 2018Special Recognition in Business Leadership Excellence
2 - Organization of the Year Award 2018, at the Zimbabwe National Women's Awards 2018 , the highest honor and national recognition bestowed upon any woman in Zimbabwe.
On 9 March 2019 shewas afforded a great opportunity to launch her new book, HIV/AIDSis no longer a death sentence, at the ZCTU(Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union) International Women’s Day gathering on 9 March 2019
On Monday 1 April, she had an interview on Voice of Americaby their reporter in Washington DC, USA, Marvelous Mhlanga-Nyahuye, to discuss her recentlylaunched 37th book; HIV/IAIDSis no longer a death sentence
On Monday, 5 August 2019, her 38th book, Abortion has Consequences was launched and graced by Her Excellency, The First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa at Mabelreign Girls High School with over twelve hundred students.
On Friday 30 August 2019, the same book, Abortion has Consequences was launched at Meikles hotel, Stewart Room by thePermanent Secretary of Ministry Of Health and Childcare, Dr Agnes Mahomva
Other guest speakers at the same Launch were; Apostle Langton Gatsi Of One-Way Ministries and Mrs. Agnes Kwenda Of Precious Life Foundation Trust in Bulawayo.
Abortion has Consequences Book was approved by Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Zimbabwe, Curriculum Development and Technical services to go into High Schools and Tertiary institutions as supplementary reading material.
Mother and Mentor to many in the nations. This spirit is evident in her works and in the founding principles of Legacy Urithi International.
To Write books that are practical and relevant to day to day living.
To change the next generation VALUES Excellence Passion Integrity Education Mentorship
OBJECTIVE
"People are born originals but most die carbon copies. I write books that take people back to their original intended purpose for living."
ABOUT IMELDA TSUMBA
Imelda Tsumba is a great example of a woman who wears so many hats all at the same time with courage and resilience She has been a beacon of light in a lot of areas that affect women and men alike She unpacked on marriage, loss and parenting in her work as a counsellor Fast Five for this month we dissect her functions as a mother, wife, counsellor, writer, and C E O A: Thank you so much for this great opportunity The key to my writing has been authenticity The natural flow of life’s joys and challenges that I have walked and experienced have daily inspired me to put to paper lessons learnt in order to help and encourage the next generation
At work you are an organizer, an administrator, you manage things You nurture and nourish those around you Mothers are like buttons; they hold everything together
The challenge of motherhood is becoming so busy with everyone and everything else that you can forget to take care of yourself You need to create time to look after yourself
IM: 1..You have 43 books to your name What inspired you to write?
Daily drink lots of liquids, exercise will give you daily energy and strength; eating well keeps you healthy; resting and relaxing rejuvenates you to be the best version of you always
IM: 4..I understand that this is your wedding anniversary month. 40 plus years in marriage. What are the highlights of your union? And longevity.
The man or woman with creative vision knows that they can succeed by helping others succeed It’s not necessary for another person to fail in order that you may succeed
With vision you produces results instead of alibis
When you make mistakes, as all people do, you are not afraid to accept the responsibility for them, and you never try to shift that responsibility to another person
You make decisions quickly but change them just as readily when you discover that you have made the wrong decision You have no fear of others, either of higher or lower rank than self, for you are at peace with your own conscience Be fair with fellowmen, and honest with yourself
IM: 2.. You are also the CEO for Legacy Urithi International . Tell us about your role at the pinnacle of an organisation
A: When you know who you are and whose you are, you put value to the gifts that you were endowed with as a way of appreciating the one who created you That is what I do
I believe anyone can be great Our individual potential is a unique divine endowment that the world is waiting to see By expressing the gift of writing, I realise the ladder of success is never crowded at the top
IM: 3.. Motherhood. How has the journey been for you? The highs, the lows and the in between?
A: Motherhood has beenand is still an honor and a privilege It’s like waking up everyday and going to work The only difference is there are no holidays and you do not retire until you depart from this earth
A: God has blessed me with a great marriage, I am eternally grateful I married my best friend, who I spend time with and cannot live without
We Love each other ❤️ We are Commitment to each other; We trust each other
We respect one another; We absolutely love worshipping God together;
We enjoy the covenant relationship, which is for better and for worse
IM: 5..You were Woman of the Year in 2018 Special Recognition in Business Leadership Excellence. From your perspective , how has the business industry changed from 2018 to present. Can we safely say there is room at the top for women?.
A: Success has no gender Industry and economy can change, but a person of vision is unstoppable
These are some of the traits of character which have helped me to bulldoze through any situation since 2018 to date Sound character and creative vision is important
Personal achievement, power, fame and riches: each has a definite price, and the man with creative vision not only knows the price but is willing to pay it
I understand the benefits of sharing blessings, my experiences and great opportunities with others I have recognized that only by this method can one attain and enjoy enduring prosperity, happiness and the respect of others
So yes, we can safely say there is room at the top for women Remember, success has no gender
Let me close with a quote; Stay away from those people who try to disparage your ambitions Small minds will always do that, but great minds will give you a feeling that you can become great too ” Mark Twain
According to Dawn Rosenberg McKay a certified Career Development Facilitator,,
career developmentis the
It's a lifelong process of learning and decision-making that brings you closer to your ideal job, skillset, and lifestyle. For some career development is steered by passion, chance or an opportunity that may have risen.
Research has shown that one can only develop a passion from what they have been exposed to, therefore the availability of opportunities tends to steer careers for most people.
According to Keith Davis, a career is all the jobs that are held during ones working life.
Career development boosts worker productivity and motivation. As an employer you can attract top talent and keep valuable personnel by paying attention to their career development.
The Philosophy of Human Resources Management requires that employers support their employees' professional development and advancement.
However, as an individual it is better to work on your own personal career development so that you steer it to the direction you want.
When someone is concerned about their career growth, they recognize their own advantages and weaknesses and put forth significant effort to develop their abilities.
Their generally quite a few stages of career development that most successful professionals have followed. In an article on career development Pietrofesa and Splete wrote “Career Development is an on-going process that occurs over the life span and includes home, school and community experience”
There are six main stages of career development that most successful professionals have gone. through. The six stages according to the US chamber of commerce in an article by Jamie Johnson include assessment, investigation, preparation, commitment, retention and transition, respectively.
The first phase in the career development process is the assessment phase. Other career development practitioners refer to it as the exploration phase. This phase often starts after university or tertiary education graduation for most people.
You may be aware of a few activities you enjoy, but you may not be entirely cognizant of your skill sets and what you can bring to the job market. If you did not go for an internship or attachment during your college education, it will be even more difficult for you specifically pick the sector of career you enjoy the most especially in a setting like Zimbabwe where internship opportunities are now very scarce.
At this point, your main priorities should be self-awareness and collecting feedback on your strengths and faults from others. You can pass through this stage more easily by using career coaching services or selfassessment examinations.
Assessments are a great way to begin your career exploration and you can get started right here with your choice of assessment tools available on the internet. Different assessments focus on different areas such as interests, personality or values and obviously your professional skills as a person.
The next phase is investigation. At this point, you begin to have a better understanding of all your possibilities. You may have worked for a few years or none.
At this point, you should start networking and corresponding with people in your field who are a few years older than you.
They can provide advice based on their own experiences and the processes they took to determine their career path. It's critical to maintain a good outlook and an open mind when doing the research.
You start working in your chosen job and gaining additional knowledge and abilities after you reach the preparation stage. Additionally, you're beginning to think about your future and make job goals. Because you've finally found some clarity and are starting to move forward, this stage is one of the most thrilling.
At this point, a lot of people are aware that they are still not employed in their dream position, but that is normal. Building the experience, you need to advance to the following stage of your profession is the focus of this phase.
By the timeyou get to thecommitment stage, you've decided on the kind of work you want to accomplish and have a clear course of action. You're concentrated on pursuing new possibilities and assuming more responsibility at work.
At this stage of your journey, it's crucial to maintain concentration and avoid being sidetracked. Spend your time building your network and concentrating on your career development.
After commitment you get to the retention stage. You're a well-known expert in your field by this point, and others regard you as a leader.
You are an acknowledged authority in your profession thanks to your expertise and experience. Reaching the retention stage is a wonderful feeling, but there are drawbacks as well.
At this point, many people become at ease and stop attempting to advance and improve. Maintaining your growth and keeping up with industry norms are crucial. You should also keep an eye out for potential professional milestones in the future.
When you reach a certain level of expertise in your area, you could come to the conclusion that there is no further advancement possible in your current role or business.
Being in the transition phase can feel like you are beginning over from scratch. Everyone's transitioning experience will be unique. It can entail moving to a different job within your sector or switching to a different one entirely.
At this stage one is probably old and would value things like farming which most older Zimbabweans tend to choose. It is of both economic and social benefit that a person goes through the stages of career development as it gives more career opportunities and leads to better job satisfaction.
Developing countries like Zimbabwe tend to have fewer career opportunities however globalization and the rise of remote work is bringing in new career prospects.
Smart work refers to finding effective and efficient ways to complete one or
multiple tasks whilealso
managing time and quality.
Working smart means efficient form of working, for example a donkey works 12 hours and a lion sleep for 12 hours but only works when he needs to prey and is still called the king of the jungle.
It essentially means figuring out what your strengths are ‚building a network around you to build upon those in order to reach goals in the quickest and most efficient way possible. Smart work equals proper planning with all possible details plus execution at correct time.
Working smart plus hard work is equal to achievement. To be successful you need to find the right financing partner, doing that will allow you to scale your company without interfering with your personal cashflow.
Bootstrapping is also important and finding the right lenders for your business is vital because they are the ones who can provide you the capital to grow.
Before you can even start working hard, it is of utmost importance that you have a clear vision of what your objectives are
Smart work means choosing the right industry. This means not choosing the industry and markets you will operate in based only on your interest, talents, hobbies, family traditions and the field you would like to study in, but analytically choosing the industry that has the most potential and where you can still create and deliver value
To work smart means to maximize the value of work by selecting a few activities and applying intense targeted effort. Working smart requires selectivity, which priorities, tasks, collaborations, team meetings and interactions to undertake and which to neglect or reject.
More so timemanagement is crucial. Time is always precious, and you must be able to identify and schedule all your tasks precisely. Eliminate most distractions from your life so that you can work productively while in the flow.
According to Jami Novak an author and time management coach, points out that few people actually assign a time limit to a task "to-do lists make us more productive', so does grouping the tasks into batches and prioritizing them, but that does not mean you will get them done to completion in the time frame you allotted or that whatever you are batching will not end up taking over your day.
The more you time yourself and gain more self-awareness into how long a particular type of tasks take you the more time you will be able to identify and repurpose in your schedule.
It is important to utilize a sourcing agent, that is if you are selling a physical product, turn to a sourcing agent and access their network, expertise and most importantly their experience with product manufacturing, designing, and importing as this will be vital for the growth of your company.
Be innovative and bold, innovation distinguishes leaders from followers Smart workers innovate somehow, they always try to improve and find new ways to do things.
Time theming is also vital, Mike Vardy a productivity coach says time theming "Frees one's mind to focus on the tasks that are critical to making progress in all areas of life". Time theming is a great way to avoid decision fatigue.
Theming your months, weeks and days gives you less to think about when you are trying to decide what to do because that given time has already given some sort of thematic value.
Time theming can also be used to help ensure work life balance for instance, every Friday could be themed "friends’ day" and every Saturday could be themed "family day". By theming the different priorities into your weeks or months, people can have more freedom and flexibility to finally start creating a work life balance that fulfills them.
Naturally, working smart is the only way forward, by embracing little changes your whole work and life balance can be vastly improved showing health and mental benefits that make you happier, freeing up time for important things in life.
Embracing life is what we all want so by learning to work smarter, we naturally find more time to relax and enjoy the best things.
Believe in yourself, work hard, work smart and passionately present your best self to the world.
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FCAAccount: 9140004813455
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