Strengthening Small and Medium Enterprises to Address Youth Unemployment Crisis in Zimbabwe

Abstract

After years of Mugabe’s anti-Western rhetoric closed Zimbabwe’s doors, his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the country ‘open for business’. After such a long period of looking inward, this could be a chance to rebuild the economy through large-scale investment in the private sector, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs). With massive rates of youth unemployment in the country, SMEs could be integral in creating jobs for young people. However, the quality of jobs in the sector can be very poor and often fragile. While Zimbabwe continues to go through an uncertain time, any new leadership must utilise the potential of SMEs to tackle the unemployment crisis, while creating an environment to ensure that the sector can thrive and provide decent work for Zimbabwean youth.