By Yolanda Million | Operations and Administration Manager
Dear Stakeholders,
As we continue our efforts to secure funding for 25 youth entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe, Emergination Africa is pleased to share the progress made by our Virtual Innovation Accelerator (VIA) teams during the second quarter of 2024. Thanks to the support from GlobalGiving, our teams have achieved significant milestones:
Food Wealth Grain Shellers
This team provides small grain shelling services to local community farmers in Masvingo Province. Additionally, they sell small grains and produce cattle feed using the remains from the shelled grains. Thanks to GlobalGiving support, the team has achieved the following milestones:
Employee Expansion: During the recent harvesting season, the team hired three new employees, bringing their total workforce to ten. These additional employees assist in reaching out to farmers and providing shelling services while other team members are attending school.
New Product Introduction: The team successfully introduced a new product to the market: livestock feed. They are currently working on packaging and ensuring it will soon be available on store shelves.
Startupper of the Year Challenge: The team has also secured participation in the Startupper of the Year challenge by TotalEnergies. This prestigious competition aims to support and encourage young African entrepreneurs, fostering innovation and project realization.
Pured Agro-Processors
During the second quarter of 2024, Pured made significant progress:
They improved their packaging, transitioning from plastic to more appealing cardboard boxes for their products. The team showcased their products at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, connecting with industry experts and potential clients.
Pured successfully entered the Value Creation Challenge, which provides business development opportunities, learning resources, and financial support to entrepreneurs with Prototype/Minimum Viable Product (0-2 years) businesses.
Their sales volumes increased from 675 to 932 sachets of powder, with revenue rising from $2108 to $2918 between April and July 2024. The team aims to penetrate the export market by year-end and these achievements demonstrate Pured’s commitment to growth and innovation.
Ballenious Investments
In the second quarter of 2024, Ballenious Investments participated in the Hozi Innovator Program. The Hozi Innovator Program serves as a hub of ideas and expertise, supporting young entrepreneurs across the continent in establishing viable, profitable, and sustainable businesses.
Additionally, Ballenious Investments attended the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in late April. This event provided valuable insights related to their business and allowed them to connect with other business professionals. Through networking at the fair, they aim to expand their business within the expert market.
Furthermore, the team was selected as one of the participants in Eagles’ Nest Season 4. This program focuses on nurturing youth-led SMEs, preparing them for export readiness. By capacitating young entrepreneurs, the program aims to create sustainable export enterprises that contribute to Zimbabwe’s future trade success. The team’s goal is to enter the export market by the end of October this year.
Amahle Marula Oil
The Amahle team has worked very hard in the last quarter. The team significantly increased production with an additional 100 bottles of marula oil from 96 bottles, which is now available in the market. Additionally, they have enhanced their packaging, and customer response has been positive.
Persea Brands (Pvt) Ltd
Since Persea Brands closed shop in 2023, we’ve redirected their funds to the aforementioned projects, all of which are progressing well.
Emergination Africa expresses gratitude for the support received from donors through GlobalGiving. Thanks to your contributions, VIA teams have made significant improvements in their operations.
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