…Dumbura, Chiadzwa-Chave scoop top awards at ZNCC Manicaland Awards      

Ngoni Dapira

MUTARE’s popular hardware business entrepreneur Tendai Dumbura of Tinty’s Hardware and versatile entrepreneur Nomsa Chiadzwa-Chave of Kiddies Pre-School emerged as the top winners of the 2021 Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) Manicaland business awards after scooping the Businessman and Businesswoman of the Year accolades at the recently held provincial awards.

The ZNCC awards are the country’s leading annual business honorary awards held provincially and nationally.

Dumbura shrugged off stiff competition from Dr Tendai Chitowa and Lovemore Mandimutsira who came out as the first and second runners-up. Dr Chitowa of the commodity broking firm Shugdaile Enterprises, is also a philanthropist with his own charity foundation, a real estate proprietor and agri-business entrepreneur, while Mandimutsira is a the founder of the Zimbabwe Africa Trust (ZAT), a non-governmental organization mostly into Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programmes, as well as a commercial farmer, retail businessman and entertainment entrepreneur.

On the other hand the 33-years old Chiadzwa-Chave whose business ventures are developing by leaps and bounds started off from humble beginnings in 2008 with a general dealer shop and bottle store in Chiadzwa, then two years later entered into real estate and now owns blocks of flats and a business centre. The first runner up in Businesswoman category went to Martha Vhasitiri of the Rise and Shine retail and wholesale enterprise. The enterprise has several branches in Mutare, in town and in high density suburbs, while the second runner up was Glenda Tafura of the family owned Smart Adventure Safari.  Smart Adventures specialises in holiday homes in the Eastern Highlands but also has a subsidiary tour operator division that hosts visiting groups that want to tour any place in Southern Africa.

Easterntimeszim also emerged the top winner on the night after its founder and seasoned journalist Ngoni Dapira scooped the Outstanding Media Person Focusing on Covid 19 and its Impact on Business award. Liberty Dube from Manica Post and Lawrence Lifa from Diamond Fm were the first and second runners-up.

The venerated awards that honour and recognise outstanding companies and business excellence exhibited by businesspeople in the province throughout the year made a return this year after a one-year hiatus last year due to the severity of the covid-19 global pandemic.

The Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution Nokhuthula Matsikenyere presided over the ceremony whilst the guest of honour was the recently appointed managing director of the Agricultural Finance Company (AFC) Commercial Bank, formerly Agribank, Ken Chitando.

This year’s awards only had 14 awards categories. The traditional awards for rural businessman of the year and young entrepreneur of the year were shelved.

FULL AWARDS LIST:

1. Outstanding Media Person Focusing on Covid-19 & Its Impact on Business

• Ngoni Dapira – Winner
• Liberty Dube        – 1st Runner Up
• Lawrence Lifa            – 2nd Runner Up

2. Entrepreneurial Resilience Award

• Cleverland Electrical Hardware – Winner
• Peelchart Investments – 1st Runner Up
• Samaita Trucking  – 2nd Runner Up

3. Best Emerging Business of the Year

• Bigbyte Groceries and Hardware – Winner
• Eat n Lick   – 1st Runner Up
• Jar Furniture & Lulu Events   – 2nd Runner Up

4. Excellence in Urban Local Government Award

• City of Mutare – Winner
• Rusape Town Council – 1st Runner Up
• Chipinge Town Council – 2nd Runner Up

5. Excellence in Rural Local Government Award

• Mutasa RDC – Winner
• Chipinge RDC – 1ST Runner Up

6. Innovation Award

• Mega Market – Winner
• Africa University – 1st Runner Up
• Mutare Teachers College – 2nd Runner Up

7. Customer Service Centred Organisation

• AFC Commercial Bank – Winner
• Diamond FM – 1ST Runner Up
• Telone – 2nd Runner Up

8. Employer of the Year

• NSSA – Winner
• Nyaradzo Group – 1st Runner Up
• Destiny of Africa Network – 2nd Runner Up

9.Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Award in light with the Covid-19 Pandemic

• Plan International Zimbabwe – WINNER
• Mercy Corps – 1st Runner Up
• City of Mutare                                  – 2nd Runner Up

10. Mining Exporter of the Year (RBZ)

• ZCDC – Winner

11. Manufacturing Exporter of the Year (RBZ)

• Border Timbers Limited – Winner
• Green Fuel Private Limited – 1st Runner Up
• Reeldon Investments (Pvt) Ltd – 2nd Runner Up

12. Agriculture Exporter of the Year (RBZ)

• Tanganda Tea Company – Winner
• Eastern Highlands Plantations – 1st Runner Up
• Ariston Management Services – 2nd Runner Up

13. Businesswoman of the Year

• Nomsa Chiadzwa Chave – Winner
• Martha Vhasitiri   – 1st Runner Up
• Glenda Tafura      – 2nd Runner Up

14. Businessman of the Year

• Tendai Dumbura – Winner
• Tendai Chitowa  – 1st Runner Up
• Lovemore Mandimutsira      – 2nd Runner Up

Awards in pictures (Pics by Stanley Chirimbani):