Business Reporter
PROPERTY mogul and WestProp Holdings Limited CEO,Ken Sharpe has called on the country’s citizens to unite and work hand in glove towards economic rebound.
The Southern Africa nation has been facing a series of economic challenges since the turn of the millennium which come on the back of excruciating economic sanctions which has seen local investors being shut out from global capital access.
However, a number of interventions have been devised mainly hinged on harnessing local potential for growth.
Addressing delegates at the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce in the midlands capital of Gweru,Sharpe called on citizens to unite for the common cause.
“My call to action to you is: Let us all commit to working together to build a more prosperous Zimbabwe. Let us embrace collaboration as a key driver of our economic success. For once, let us put aside our differences; because a thriving economy benefits us all.
“It is no secret that we have faced economic challenges in recent years, including high inflation, currency instability, and limited access to foreign capital. These challenges have hampered business growth and job creation. However, I am firmly convinced that we can overcome these obstacles and build a brighter future. But I cannot do it alone and you cannot do it alone. Collaboration is essential for our success,” he said.
Mr Sharpe challenged Zimbabweans to align their mindsets towards working together “realising that our success lies in our hands and that no one is coming to save us.
“We are our own saviours, however to save ourselves we need to start working together and collaborate”.
Mr Sharpe said to successfully build a thriving economy all stakeholders should come together in “a supportive and enabling environment for businesses to flourish” through public-private partnerships.
He cited the PPP that WestProp Holdings has with City of Harare.
“We have our own public-private partnership with the City of Harare for the development of The Hills Lifestyle Estate – a US$ 300 million-dollar project that will bring a world-class, USGA spec golf course to our country as well as luxurious branded residences – A first in Zimbabwe. We recently broke ground,” he said.
He said PPP could be used as the vehicle to a thriving economy adding WestProp was collaborating with industry players to bring world-class housing for Zimbabweans.
“Another example of a thriving collaborative project is The Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX): The VFEX is a regional stock exchange that allows companies from Zimbabwe and other African countries to raise capital and nurture mutually-beneficial business relationships. This collaboration between Zimbabwe and other countries has the potential to boost investment and economic growth across the region,” he said.
Mr Sharpe said collaboration can be achieved through bilateral and multilateral relations between countries and international organisations.
