New Generation of Zimbabwean Economic Builders: Rev Musindo Salutes Young Patriots, Turning Problems into Business

by Kudakwashe Ruzive

HARARE — At a time when Zimbabwe’s economic conversation is frequently dominated by currency movements, political controversy and social-media accusations, Destiny of Afrika Network (DANet) founder and president Dr Reverend Obedia Musindo says another story deserves equal attention the rise of a generation of Zimbabweans who are building businesses, creating employment, investing in productive sectors and contributing to the country’s economic transformation.

For Rev Musindo, the story of Zimbabwe’s economic future cannot be written exclusively in government offices. It must also be written in mines, farms, factories, fuel depots, financial institutions, shops, technology companies and boardrooms where young Zimbabweans are attempting to convert opportunities into productive enterprises.

He added that these young entrepreneurs should be seen as a source of income, employment and national economic development when their activities are directed towards productive investment and community benefit.

He describes them as a generation that should be encouraged to build rather than condemned simply because they have accumulated wealth.

“We now have young men and women with financial muscle who are not necessarily greedy with national wealth. Some of them are investing, creating employment and participating in sectors that are critical to Zimbabwe’s economic future,” Musindo said.

His argument comes as Zimbabwe attempts to transform economic stabilisation into the broader industrialisation and development objectives associated with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 agenda.

From survival to enterprise

Zimbabwe’s economic history has produced a generation familiar with scarcity.

Fuel queues, currency instability, shortages and economic contraction were once among the defining experiences of ordinary citizens.

But Rev Musindo argues that a different generation is emerging — one that sees problems as commercial opportunities.

He cites businessman Senator Kudakwashe Tagwirei as one example.

Senator Tagwirei’s entrepreneurial journey began in the fuel sector and eventually expanded into mining, agriculture and other areas. In a 2026 account of his rise, Tagwirei recalled how a 12-hour fuel queue in Harare became the inspiration for entering the fuel business.

He described a difficult journey involving failed ventures, financing challenges and the eventual expansion of Sakunda’s fuel operations.

Rev Musindo views that entrepreneurial journey as evidence of what can happen when a problem is approached as an opportunity.

“Look at Kuda Tagwirei. Whether people agree with everything around him or not, his story demonstrates that Zimbabweans can build large enterprises from difficult circumstances. The lesson for young people is to identify a problem and build a solution around it,” he said.

However, Tagwirei’s business career has also attracted serious controversy and international sanctions. The U.S. Treasury designated him in 2020, alleging corruption and preferential access to state contracts and foreign currency. Those allegations and sanctions are an important part of any balanced account of his public record and should not be presented as established criminal convictions.

Scott Sakupwanya and the gold economy

Musindo also points to businessman and gold dealer Pedzai “Scott” Sakupwanya, whose rise from Mabvuku to the gold-mining and gold-buying industry illustrates another route into wealth creation.

Sakupwanya has described beginning his gold-buying activities in the early 2000s and subsequently becoming a major buyer of gold from small-scale miners. The Herald previously reported that his operations employed thousands of artisanal miners and that he became a major buyer for Fidelity Printers and Refiners.

Rev Musindo argues that the broader lesson is the economic value of bringing small-scale producers into formal value chains.

“People like Scott came from somewhere. They understand the grassroots economy. Gold is not produced in a boardroom; it is produced by miners on the ground. When those miners are connected to formal markets, the country benefits through production, employment and foreign-currency generation,” he said.

At the same time, the gold sector has been accompanied by controversies and allegations concerning illicit trading and political influence. Those allegations should be distinguished from verified economic contributions.

Wealth should become productive capital

For Musindo, becoming wealthy should not automatically trigger suspicion.

He argues that Zimbabwe needs a culture in which successful entrepreneurs are encouraged to reinvest their wealth into productive enterprises.

“There is a negative perception that anyone who becomes wealthy must have stolen. We need to change that mentality. Let us ask whether the wealth is creating companies, jobs, mines, farms, factories and opportunities for other Zimbabweans,” he said.

His argument mirrors a central development challenge facing Zimbabwe: turning natural-resource wealth and private capital into productive investment.

The World Bank says Zimbabwe possesses abundant natural resources and a highly educated workforce, while noting that structural and institutional reforms will be necessary for the country to achieve sustained rapid growth and move towards upper-middle-income status.

The political generation of entrepreneurs

Musindo also highlighted young political leaders whom he says have demonstrated a willingness to combine public responsibility with personal resources.

Among those he cited was Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Hon Tino Machakaire, whom Rev Musindo presented as an example of a younger generation participating in national leadership.

“We should look at young people who are coming into leadership with energy, ideas and resources. The country needs a generation that sees public office as a responsibility to build, not simply an opportunity to benefit personally,” he said.

Recognising national development contributions

Rev Musindo also praised the work of the Special Advisor to the President, Dr Paul Tungwarara, whom he said has contributed to income-generating projects and other initiatives aimed at supporting national development.

According to Musindo, Tungwarara’s involvement in mobilising funds, supporting productive projects and assisting communities demonstrates the importance of combining public service with practical economic empowerment.

“We must also recognise the good work being done by people such as Dr Tungwarara, who has contributed to income-generating projects, helped mobilise resources and supported initiatives that benefit communities. These efforts show how leadership, funding and practical development work can come together to create opportunities,” Rev Musindo said.

This is particularly important because President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 requires more than government programmes.

It requires a private sector capable of financing businesses, creating jobs, developing industries and supporting communities.

From individuals to an ecosystem

Rev Musindo’s central thesis is that Zimbabwe’s economic transformation should not be reduced to the work of a handful of politicians or ministers.

The Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank, entrepreneurs, farmers, miners, manufacturers, technology innovators and consumers all form part of the economic ecosystem.

“A country cannot become prosperous because of one minister. It becomes prosperous when government creates the policy environment, entrepreneurs invest, workers produce, farmers produce food, miners generate foreign currency, manufacturers add value and young people create businesses,” he said.

That ecosystem is becoming increasingly important as Zimbabwe seeks to sustain the economic gains recorded in 2025 and 2026.

The World Bank recorded GDP growth of 7.5 percent in 2025 after just 1.7 percent in 2024, while the IMF estimated 2025 growth even higher at 8.3 percent and projected around 5 percent growth in 2026.

The challenge beyond the headlines

Yet the feature of Zimbabwe’s new economic generation is not simply about accumulating money.

The bigger question is whether private wealth can be transformed into productive national capital.

That means building factories rather than merely importing finished products; processing minerals rather than exporting raw materials; expanding agricultural value chains; developing technology; creating formal employment; and building businesses capable of competing beyond Zimbabwe.

Rev Musindo believes that is where the country’s young entrepreneurs must now direct their ambition.

“We want to see Zimbabwean millionaires, billionaires and eventually companies operating at a much larger global scale. But the wealth must circulate through productive investment. Let our entrepreneurs build factories, mines, farms, technology companies, logistics businesses and financial institutions. That is how wealth becomes national development,” he said.

A generation being asked to build

The story of Zimbabwe’s young economic actors is therefore more complicated than either praise or criticism.

Some have achieved remarkable commercial success. Some have faced allegations and controversy. Some operate at the intersection of business and politics, where scrutiny is inevitable.

But Rev Musindo insists that the national conversation should not become so consumed by accusations that it forgets the importance of entrepreneurship itself.

“We must not discourage young Zimbabweans from becoming successful. Let us encourage them to build, but let us also demand accountability, transparency and productivity. The Zimbabwe we want cannot be built by waiting for somebody else,” he said.

Zimbabwe’s economic recovery remains fragile and unfinished. Debt distress, poverty, climate shocks and fiscal risks remain serious challenges.

But the emergence of a more entrepreneurial generation offers another dimension to the country’s Vision 2030 project.

The ultimate measure of that generation will not be the size of its bank accounts.

It will be the number of jobs created, businesses built, industries developed, communities transformed and opportunities opened for those coming behind them.

And in Rev Musindo’s words, that is the spirit Zimbabwe needs now:

“Let us produce a generation that does not only ask what Zimbabwe can give them, but asks what they can build for Zimbabwe.”