THE harsh economic environment obtaining in Zimbabwe has done a lot of harm on many people but as it turns out, the hardships have brought into being a new crop of entrepreneurs as enterprising Zimbabweans invent new ways of survival.
By Tarisai Mandizha
Last year more than 6 000 workers lost their jobs as at least 52 companies retrenched, according to official statistics. Smart Mataranyika, a father of three children is one such entrepreneur who has resorted to innovation in order to survive. He sells second hand clothes in a commuter omnibus in Graniteside and the returns have been good.
Mataranyika said at its peak, his business realises US$1 000 per month while on low business days he racks in about US$800. Mataranyika started selling second hand clothes in 2003 after losing his job as an instructor at a driving school in the capital in 2002.
“We started this business with very little capital. We would sell our wares, walking from one place to another and it was not easy at all. However over the years we managed to raise some money and we bought a vehicle. After another 10 years we have managed to buy these caravans,” Mataranyika said.
Today, he runs a thriving business and can be counted among the few relatively successful indeginous business people in the textile industry.
Many other people in the same trade have taken to the same modus operandi and today, the sight of mobile retail shops has become commonplace. Goods on sale include clothes, electrical gadgets and music accessories, fruit and vegetables and even hot foods.
Explaining his choice of a mini-bus as a store, Mataranyika said: “After buying a commuter omnibus, I was left with no money to register it as a passenger carrier. I then decided to register it as a mobile shop and it is now paying dividends.
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“A commuter omnibus has a lot of room to do business and I can even use it as a showroom for my merchandise. I can even use it as a changing room for my customers.” Mataranyika is paying US$140 per year as licence to the council to allow him to trade on the city streets legally, without hassles from municipal officers.
He said most of his clients were workers from surrounding companies who paid cash for the goods. “We have become very popular in this area although we also get a lot of business from passersby,” he said.
Mataranyika urged government to do more to help the thousands of people that are without jobs.
“The biggest challenge we are facing is that of finance. We want to be able to access loans because currently government only gives loans to companies.
