CBZ Holdings held the second edition of the SME Indaba in Bulawayo from the 21st to the 23rd of March 2018 at the ZITF Grounds. The event was attended by over 400 delegates and in excess of 50 SMEs exhibited at the event showcasing their work to all delegates who attended the event.

Speaking at the official opening of the event the Guest of Honour, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Industry, Commerce and Enterprise Development Abigail Shonhiwa said the SMEs sector was sustaining Zimbabwe’s economy and should be supported. She applauded CBZ for initiating a number of events that are aimed at empowering SMEs in the country.

“We, therefore, want to salute and appreciate what our SMEs are doing and continue to do for our economy and would like to emphasise the commitment by government of Zimbabwe to continue supporting the SMEs to grow,” she said.

The event was attended by delegates from India, South Africa, Namibia and Malawi among other countries and the foreign delegates shared a number of success stories from their countries, most of which the Zimbabwean SMEs can lean from to further capacitate their businesses.

Speaking at the same event CBZ Holdings Acting Group Chief Executive Officer Mr Peter Zimunya said the group has a dedicated Business Banking Division to ensure adequate support for the SMEs. The Division has regional centres in most of the major towns and cities and these are meant to ensure SME support in all regions of the country.

‘I am also pleased to inform you that our banking subsidiary , CBZ Bank, which last year arranged US$10 million in new funding for SMEs, won the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) National award for the Best Bank supporting Micro and Small to medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Our aim is to build on such recognitions and continue to create more tailored solutions for our SMEs.’ Mr Zimunya added.

Follow the below link to access the presentations done at the Indaba: https://www.cbz.co.zw/investor-relations/presentations/category/24-sme-indaba-2018