I hear Zimbabwe is open for business. I have been thinking deeply about what I would like to invest in and came up with a list below. Most of this is technology related because that`s what I know best.
1. Crowdfunded Real Estate
2. Tokwe-Mukosi Hotel & Safari
The largest inland dam was completed a few years ago. I grew up in the area and as I envision the potential of the dam I see a lot of opportunities. I understand the Chivi Rural District Council intends to open the area to investment. There are opportunities for island hotels, safari lodges and other businesses. I would like to build a hotel oaround the Museva-Zifunzi area due to its proximity to the Masvingo-Beitbridge road. This area can be transformed into a tourist hotspot given that apart from the dam, there are other attractions within 100km. There is the Great Zimbabwe Ruins about 55km to the North East, Mutirikwi Dam, Bangala Dam, Nuanetsi Ranch, Triangle Sugar Estates and Gonarezhou National Park to the south. This dam will also have a 15MW hydro-electric power station.
3. Credit Bureau
I haven’t had time to review the legislation that govern establishment of private Credit and Background Checking systems in Zimbabwe. I understand that the Reserve Bank Of Zimbabwe awarded a tender to Creditinfo for the establishment of a credit bureau and was supposed to go live some time last year. I think Zimbabwe needs a system that consolidates private and public data to help businesses make informed decisions. My vision is to build a historical and forward-looking decisioning engine that can be used to determine creditworthiness, risk and identity in realtime. I have worked for a company in USA that built an in-house decisioning model for its business loans, so I do understand the technology that may be needed but a lot depends on legislation and willingness of public institutions to innovate.
4. Tech Outsourcing
One of the biggest assumption I am making is that the Mnangagwa government will be looking at growing the small business sector in Zimbabwe. In the same regard it would probably look at tightening tax loopholes. One of the things that is frustrating for a small business owner is navigating the HR and payroll issues. I think a software platform that integrates accounting, tax and payroll would help lessen the workload for small businesses and allow them to focus on their productivity.
5. Subprime Business Lending
So I worked for a lending company in USA that developed a system of managed funding for small businesses. This was after the Great Recession of 2008-09 and a lot of businesses were going under. I look at the Zimbabwe landscape right now, if Zimbabwe is open for business, then there are many businesses that would require funding. I am of the opinion that the model I saw at the company would be ideal for an economy such as Zimbabwe’s.
While I am thinking about this I am sure there are many people out there who are thinking of other ideas and opportunities. Probably they have a few thousand dollars to invest but are not sure where the rest would come from.
It is with this in mind that we have been developing A Global Network Of Zimbabwe Citizens called Zimbabwe Citizens Roundtable. The purpose is to provide a space were Zimbabweans can network , nurture their ideas and maybe find common ground for collective investment. Check it out https://thiscitizen.org
Freeman Chari is a tech entrepreneur based in USA. He is a co-founder of a real estate software company Rentalgrid.com you can contact him on freemanchari@yahoo.com
