BEYOND THE MARGINS: Women called to own industry

Nqobile Bhebhe [email protected]

WOMEN must take a more prominent role in Zimbabwe’s industrialisation drive by moving beyond participation as employees and consumers to becoming entrepreneurs, manufacturers, investors, innovators, researchers and owners of enterprises, Industry and Commerce Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu has said.

As the country pursues meaningful and sustainable industrialisation, Ndlovu says this drive would remain incomplete if a significant portion of the population continued to be relegated to the margins of productive economic activity.

“There can be no meaningful and sustainable industrialisation if half of the population remains at the margins of the productive economy,” he said.

“Women must participate not only as workers or consumers, but as entrepreneurs, manufacturers, investors, innovators, researchers and owners of enterprises.”

He was addressing a recent public lecture at Bulawayo Polytechnic on “Harnessing Students’ Potential for Sustainable Industrialisation and Vision 2030”.

The minister said the pathway to greater participation was practical, requiring women to acquire technical skills, develop solutions, establish enterprises and ultimately create employment for others, noting that this applied across a broad range of sectors, including technology, engineering, manufacturing, mining services, industrial management, finance, exports and logistics.

“Young women must enter areas that may once have appeared difficult to access. Technical and industrial fields are not reserved for one gender. They are open to anyone with the competence, determination and creativity to succeed.

“Institutions, industry, Government and finance providers must help create access to skills, technology, markets and productive infrastructure. But the bigger change is one of identity: women must see themselves as drivers and owners of industrialisation. Participation must become ownership,” Minister Ndlovu said.

He said Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth presented significant opportunities for women and other entrepreneurs to establish businesses linked to the mining value chain.

On mining, Minister Ndlovu said Zimbabwe is richly endowed with minerals, but the full economic benefit of that mineral wealth will be realised only when we build industries around it.

“You don’t need to own a mine to build a business that mines need. Opportunities exist in engineering and fabrication, equipment and consumables, maintenance and technical services, safety and environmental technology, processing and beneficiation, logistics and specialist services,” he said

Minister Ndlovu said increasing value addition in iron and steel, lithium, chrome, Platinum Group Metals and other minerals would create growing demand for local suppliers, manufacturers, service providers and technology developers.

“As value addition develops in iron and steel, lithium, chrome, Platinum Group Metals and other minerals, the demand for suppliers, manufacturers, service providers and technology developers will grow.

“You should, therefore, identify recurring operational problems: imported spare parts, maintenance delays, safety needs, environmental challenges, data gaps, inefficient processes or specialised logistics. Each problem may represent a product or service opportunity,” he said.

Minister Ndlovu said Zimbabwe’s industrialisation challenge was to develop goods, services and technologies that keep mines productive while ensuring the country retained more value from its mineral resources.

The approach, he said, would strengthen local production, create employment and broaden ownership of industrial activity, particularly among women and young people.