« 100 Years – 100 Lives » | ZIMBABWE - “The Green enterPRIZE competition aligns with our vision”
The ILO’s Green enterPrize helps support green and growth-oriented small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Zimbabwe. Several winners say the competition has been a big help for their companies.
HARARE – Piwai Chikasha and Takudzwa Chipadza, both from Zimbabwe, met at an aeronautical engineering college in Ukraine. They soon became friends and business partners.
“We always had this idea of transferring all the knowledge we gained in Europe back to Zimbabwe,” said Chikasha.
They eventually set up Alley Capital Group, a company that uses drones to provide crop-spraying services for farmers.
Their battery-powered drones are highly efficient and eliminate the need for diesel fuel. The technology improves the quality of the crops, decreases environmental harm and allows farmers to work more efficiently.
“In Zimbabwe, going green is not really something we talk about,” Chikasha said. “But we can contribute, no matter how small.”
The young men’s project won the best young entrepreneurs’ category in the ILO’s Green enterPRIZE competition, receiving US$5,000 and 12 months of business development services for their company.
The Green enterPRIZE business competition was created by the ILO and implemented with the help of local business development service providers, with the aim of helping Zimbabwean entrepreneurs strengthen their green and growth-oriented businesses. Of the 117 people who entered, 90 made the shortlist and were invited to attend small group training sessions, where contestants discussed and developed their business plans.
Networking opportunities
As well as being delighted to win the prize, Chikasha and Chipadza say that these networking opportunities and training sessions were also very helpful.
“It’s opened up avenues for business collaborations and synergies,” Chipadza said. “Something greener is going to come out of those interactions.”
“We always had this idea of transferring all the knowledge we gained in Europe back to Zimbabwe,” said Chikasha.
They eventually set up Alley Capital Group, a company that uses drones to provide crop-spraying services for farmers.
Their battery-powered drones are highly efficient and eliminate the need for diesel fuel. The technology improves the quality of the crops, decreases environmental harm and allows farmers to work more efficiently.
“In Zimbabwe, going green is not really something we talk about,” Chikasha said. “But we can contribute, no matter how small.”
The young men’s project won the best young entrepreneurs’ category in the ILO’s Green enterPRIZE competition, receiving US$5,000 and 12 months of business development services for their company.
The Green enterPRIZE business competition was created by the ILO and implemented with the help of local business development service providers, with the aim of helping Zimbabwean entrepreneurs strengthen their green and growth-oriented businesses. Of the 117 people who entered, 90 made the shortlist and were invited to attend small group training sessions, where contestants discussed and developed their business plans.
Networking opportunities
As well as being delighted to win the prize, Chikasha and Chipadza say that these networking opportunities and training sessions were also very helpful.
“It’s opened up avenues for business collaborations and synergies,” Chipadza said. “Something greener is going to come out of those interactions.”