Starting a new business can be daunting for many Zimbabweans who may not have the appropriate tertiary education or skills required to establish proper administrative structures and other basic fundamentals that will enable their start ups to flourish.
There is a strong feeling among economists and analysts that the country’s educational system has not kept up with the shifting landscape in the economy. While there has been a significant decrease in the availability of jobs in the formal sector, the emergence of small businesses and a growing informal sector has been a major feature of Zimbabwe’s changing economy.
However, many of those who decide to follow a path of setting up their own businesses usually do not have the relevant qualifications or technical ability to manoeuvre and grow their establishments into profitable entities capable of employing others and adding more value to the economy.
To improve their skills and attain these qualifications, they have to first go through formal training, which is often so expensive that it excludes many of those who qualify. And because the country’s formal education system largely focuses on equipping students with the type of skills that are relevant to the formal sector, a good number of those who manage to graduate do not have the capability or technical know how to start their own businesses.
The majority of those attempting to set up any businesses, therefore, suffer many setbacks and end up failing to get their start ups off the ground. This is not only because of insufficient skills but also because of the fact that many budding entrepreneurs usually start off in the hope of escaping poverty and improving their livelihoods.
Without any skills, their ventures end up being done on a trial and error basis in the hope of acquiring entrepreneurial skills ‘along the way’. By equipping entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills to navigate the complex terrain of running a successful business, entrepreneurship master coach Dr. Kudzanai Vere is positively transforming lives and changing the narrative.
He trains entrepreneurs and empowers them with life changing skills and his efforts have gone a long way to bridge the gap that is apparent in the country’s educational system. Dr. Vere is regional director of Centre for Business and Entrepreneurship Development, an entrepreneur and business leader with over 20 years of experience in assurance, accounting, management, operations and finance.
The Centre for Business and Entrepreneurship Development seeks to come up with a comprehensive regional integration framework for all entities and stakeholders into entrepreneurship and business.
Its objective is to capacitate Africans with practical entrepreneurship and business skills to be able to transform African resources into sustainable enterprises.
Through working with entrepreneurs and businesses towards the Africa Continental Free Trade, the Centre for Business and Entrepreneurship Development’s founding was triggered by the need to empower Africans for Africa’s sustainable growth and development.
Dr. Vere’s wealth of experience and array of skills in external audit, internal controls, financial planning, financial analysis, financial reporting, business systems re-engineering, operations management, leadership development and conducting financial management trainings make him the ideal entrepreneurship coach. His sessions include providing coaching services in entrepreneurship, personal, organisational and leadership development as well as financial literacy.
In 2017, Dr. Vere founded Transformational Mindset Institute, an organisation that has to date hosted more than ten entrepreneurship conversations with current and prospective entrepreneurs. During these conversations, those interested or involved in business get expert advice from local and international experts.
Perhaps it is the difficult conditions that he experienced while growing up that makes Dr. Vere determined to empower others with the knowledge he now possesses.
Born in Magaya Village in Nyanga, Dr. Vere learnt, from a very early age, that he had to work hard to make it in life. His father was a strict disciplinarian to him and his nine siblings. He vividly remembers waking up early everyday with his other siblings to water the family garden before going to school in Magaya Village, Nyanga.
He proved his potential on the academic stage in secondary school when he studied hard and emerged as the best Ordinary Level student at Mapako High School in 1999. After securing employment as a costing clerk at Red Star Wholesalers in Nyanga, the young Dr. Vere was able to pay school fees for his siblings while also furthering his education.
He completed a Diploma in Accounting, Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting, Master of Arts in Leadership and Management before graduating with a Doctor of Philosophy in Entrepreneurship. In one of his many inspirational quotes on social media platform LinkedIn, Dr. Vere urges entrepreneurs to face the challenges and obstacles that come their way by regarding them as a learning curve.
“In our fast-paced world, every obstacle is a chance for growth. Remember, success isn’t just about reaching your goals but also about the journey we take. Let’s support each other, share our wins and lessons, and continue striving for excellence. Together, we can transform challenges into stepping stones. Keep pushing forward!”
Dr. Vere has also travelled to India, at the invitation of professional contacts he has established as his work and reputation continues to gain influence beyond the borders of the country. That such international contacts are eager to connect with him and benefit from his vast experience and expertise when it comes to entrepreneurship is a huge endorsement of his capabilities.
In 2020 he published a book – Becoming a Person of Impact – through his Transformational Mindset Institute. He uses the book to present his case for a fail-proof and tried and tested strategy on how one can transform oneself into an a person who has impact when it comes to the area of business and entrepreneurship.
The book, which is highly recommended for those venturing into their own start ups or those seeking ways to improve their businesses, touches on a number of relevant topics such as discovering oneself, re-ordering one’s life, emerging victorious from punishing life circumstances, networking, continuous improvement and transcending all manner of limitations along the journey to success.
Despite his success, Dr. Vere is still eager to achieve more: “What continues to propel me forward is the need to be always current in all my areas of interest. The experience that I gathered in my 19 years working life that of systems, strategies, processes and procedures in the business arena and how businesses are run forms a strong basis in me that I can not let all that decompose without sharing with the world. So whenever I stand before people sharing, I share from my heart as these are real experiences. I also run Kudfort Zimbabwe which is a Forensic Accounting firm which has worked on top forensic accounting assignments in Zimbabwe and I could arguably be amongst the top 10 Forensic Accounting experts in Zimbabwe.”
In a country with an emerging crop of businesspeople crying out for entrepreneurial guidance and direction, Dr. Kudzanai Vere has risen to the occasion and become the man of the moment. He is a beacon of success and inspiration to a country that needs hope and the many emerging and established entrepreneurs who have passed through his hands.