Zimbabwe is laden with business opportunities. We have barely scratched the surface when it comes to Zimbabwe’s business prospects. It is astounding when you look at the natural resources in Zimbabwe. It is disturbing to see global enterprises whose market caps are way beyond the GDP of Zimbabwe. I recently saw a report that proved that Zimbabwe is no longer an agro-based economy. Sounds untrue right? Well, in 2020 agriculture only contributed 7.61 per cent to Zimbabwe’s GDP. Guess what the greatest contributor was – wholesale and retail trade (19.24 per cent). So just by looking at agriculture alone, it is evident there are still untapped opportunities. Anyways, it is now time to look at some untapped business opportunities in Zimbabwe.

Cryptocurrency Exchanges

There is no question about how cryptocurrency adoption is growing in Zimbabwe. Even the finance minister highlighted that there is no stopping cryptocurrency. This opens up some opportunities for cryptocurrency and blockchain in Zimbabwe. We are yet to have local Zimbabwean cryptocurrency exchanges. Right now the only  Zimbabwean cryptocurrency is Zimbocash (Zash). To buy, sell, or trade it with other cryptocurrencies on an exchange you have to go to Bithumb Global. This is because there is no local Zimbabwean exchange. This is a lengthy and interesting subject but the bottom line is such exchanges are long overdue in Zimbabwe. I will not even go into how lucrative such a venture can be.

Vertical Farming

I have covered this at length before but I will always mention it because it is huge. I have noticed there are so many abandoned or derelict buildings all over Zimbabwe. I can give a specific example of warehouses that are just standing unused right now. All such buildings can be used for vertical farming. Vertical farming is a farming approach that entails the cultivation of crops indoors without the use of soil. In essence, it involves hydroponic farming techniques but under indoor, substantially big, controlled environments. This is all money waiting to be made.

Amusement Parks

It is commonplace to see amusement parks in the movies – especially western movies. It surprises me when I do not get to see them strewn all over Zimbabwe. Gaming activities are big money especially when you target young people. After all, an amusement park can have everything for any age group. Plus there are several other income-generating activities that can be included in amusement parks. The ecosystem an amusement park can create is so broad and lucrative. We need to see people venturing into this more in Zimbabwe.

Movie Houses

As much as technology and options keep expanding, the movie house experience never gets old. It will always be something that many people will always love to do from time to time. It is quite strange how there are very few movie houses in Zimbabwe. Countless towns do not even have movie houses at all. I reside in Masvingo for example, and there is no movie house at all. I wonder why but I am sure we sleeping on something lucrative. Movie houses also necessitate several more related amenities which generate income. We need to see the emergence of more movie houses in Zimbabwe.

Agro-Processing

I already pointed out that agriculture is not doing as much as it used to. That shows that there is still a lot of untapped potentials. This is especially when you look at the vast arable land in Zimbabwe. Additionally, there is the value addition side. Yes, production is low and for the most part, Zimbabwean agriculture has mostly been raw produce. There is untapped potential in agro-processing. There has been mention that the next African billionaires will emerge from agriculture. However, I do not think that will necessarily happen through just selling raw produce. There will be a need for more focus on agro-processing – there is more money there. There is considerable activity in agro-processing in Zimbabwe but we have barely scratched the surface.

Procurement And Logistics

This area has increasingly become important due to e-commerce. It is also due to the increase in regional trade as well. It is now commonplace for people and enterprises to sell or buy stuff across borders. Delivery services due to e-commerce need proper frameworks to ensure the success of e-commerce in Zimbabwe. We are also seeing a gradual increase in errand service providers. All these aspects thrive best when there are reliable and solid procurement and logistics frameworks. So important is this area that in other African countries investors are pouring millions into startups in this area. In Zimbabwe, this area is still largely untapped and we need to see more activity.

E-Commerce

This is another subject I have delved into several times before. Look, I appreciate that there is significant progress being made in e-commerce in Zimbabwe. In just the past 12 months I have seen the emergence of several e-commerce enterprises in Zimbabwe. All that is good but there is still much to be done in providing competitive e-commerce services. There are still so many areas that have not yet been touched. Most e-commerce startups in Zimbabwe are still so small. There is more to be done and we are still miles away from appropriating the potential in Zimbabwean e-commerce.

Venture Capital

So many startups are sprouting in Zimbabwe – which is a good thing. However, the challenge of capital remains a huge hurdle for many. I have said before I know someone who has a cutting edge startup idea but is struggling to access funding. We have Zimbabweans with multimillion-dollar business plans but cannot access funding. Why is venture capital something we mostly hear from other countries? I understand Zimbabwe is typically a high risk operating environment but the risk is always there. It is high time we see more and more people entering this space. There are so many solid startup and business ideas in Zimbabwe simply waiting on funding.

Streaming Services

Streaming has become a huge part of many people the world over. Some of the popular platforms are Netflix and Showmax, amongst others. This is so much money to be made from having such platforms. For example, the latest trending series Squid Game has so far raked in over US$900 million in revenue. This is just one show – imagine! In Zimbabwe, it is no secret that local television has lost its relevance. No wonder people prefer to subscribe to DSTV to watch programming from other countries e.g. SA. Thus streaming can be a lucrative venture here in Zimbabwe. Gateway Stream is trying but it is still riddled with hiccups. However, there is no doubt that streaming services can be hugely profitable in Zimbabwe.

I can assure you these are business opportunities worth millions of dollars. Make up your mind to settle for at least one of them and explore. You might just step into a whole new life of business or entrepreneurship.