Richard Branson once said that business opportunities are like buses, there is always another one coming. The truth is business ideas are infinite and are ever emerging and evolving. That is why discussing business ideas is something that gets to pop often. Today my focus is on business ideas that are becoming popular right now. They of course might have had some popularity here and there but they are more popular now. In other words, these are business ideas that are trending right now in Zimbabwe.
Rabbit Farming
I have done some articles on rabbit farming before. My most recent one was on types of rabbits to rear in Zimbabwe. It is interesting to note that rabbit farming is now being taken up by more and more people. This stems from many factors that encourage their rearing. Rabbits are generally small animals so they are mostly easy to manage. The cost of rearing them is also manageable. Rabbits have an exceptional reproductive rate.
Their gestation lasts just 4 weeks and they can give birth as many as 9 times in a year. Zimbabwe Commercial Rabbit Breeders Association (ZICORBA) is currently the leading entity popularizing rabbit farming in Zimbabwe. A rabbit can give birth to about 40 offspring in one year. Rabbit meat is highly considered given its rich taste and nutritional content.
Fish Farming
Fishing has always been a widely practised activity across the country. For many years the focus has mainly been on fishing from pre-existing water bodies such as dams and rivers. The tide is changing as more and more people are getting into fish farming. Since last year alone I have seen a remarkable surge in the number of people starting fish farming. I have also seen a marked rise in the number of companies majoring in fish farming services.
People are now getting fish ponds constructed whilst some are opting for mobile and portable pools. Agrimarine Solutions is one of the most notable players in this domain in Zimbabwe. They do pond construction, project management, fish farming training, fish marketing, selling fingerlings, feed, medication, nets, pumps, dam liners, and test kits. Fish is a highly sought after meat choice given its being white meat (which is recommended).
Hydroponic Farming
Hydroponic farming is becoming so popular in Zimbabwe as well. The extreme weather conditions now characterise the country and make crop production challenges. Most people do not quite have access to vast tracts of land and water as well. All most people have is probably a balcony, a shade, or a backyard space. Hydroponic farming comes in to render those limitations useless. Hydroponics farming is an approach that eliminates the use of soil. The crops get to be grown in inactive or non-reactive media (e.g. perlite) only by being supplied with water-based nutrient solutions.
It requires no soil and very small quantities of water (up to 90 per cent less water than conventional farming). Not forgetting how it also does not require much space. Crops grown through hydroponic farming have been found to grow over 30 per cent faster than conventional farming methods. Yield rates have also been demonstrated to be much higher as well. More and more players are entering this space and so should you. One notable player in this space is 160 Hydro Farm.
Food Processing
This is food processing on a small to medium scale. There is an increase in the number of Zimbabwean enterprises focusing on food processing. There is also an increase in the number of individuals focusing on the same. For example, I have been seeing several people processing and selling herbs and spices. I have also been observing similar trends regarding people producing things like juices, jams, preserves, and many more.
There are also those into health foods which is an area increasingly becoming popular also. Over the past few years and even more now more and more Zimbabweans are starting food processing enterprises or ventures. Some of the food processing enterprises in Zimbabwe you can draw inspiration from are Yanaya, Glytime Foods, and Hutano Foods.
These are my top picks of some of the food-related business ideas becoming popular right now in Zimbabwe. Seth Godin once said, “there is no shortage of remarkable business ideas, what is missing is the will to execute them”. In as much as these are all great ideas that I shared with you, execution is key.
