Employment Overview
Inflation continues to rise and is currently estimated at 1700%, this means prices have a tendency to change on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. There is an 80% unemployment rate.
Labour market requirements (permissions, documents, citizenship etc.)
Identification in the form of a national registration, drivers’ licence, valid passport and/or long birth certificate is a prerequisite for a prospective employee to access the labour market. Birth certificates and IDs are granted at the nearest Home Affairs office. Most advertised jobs in Zimbabwe require the candidate to be a citizen of Zimbabwe and or be in possession of residence permit/work permit.
Average Salaries
Average salaries for the following professions include:
Teachers - US$35.71 per month
Lecturers - US$35.71 per month
Nurses - US$35.71 per month
Doctors - US$250.00 per month
Security guard – US$10.00 per month
Finding a Job : Employment Agencies
Those who want jobs in the private sector should create a CV and send them to the various employment agents around the country. Below is a list for employment agents and their contact details:
| Cook’s Employment Services, 6th Floor Century House East, N. Mandela Av. Tel: 04 758809 or 04 755810 Fax: 04 758808 |
Employment & Executive Services, 2nd Floor Greenbridge Eastgate, S Nujoma St, PO Box 4018 Tel: 04 253812 or 04 251765/7 or 04 252106/7 Fax: 04 708979, Email: beb@zol.co.zw |
Impact Employment & Accountancy Staff, Roslin House N Mandela Tel: 04 705303/4 or 04 706334/5 |
| I.T.S. Recruitment Consultants, 4th Floor Gelfand House, Cnr Speke Av/1st Street Tel: 04 792038/9 or 04 720635 or 04 729014 or 04 731624 Fax: 04 704125 |
Kipps Employment Agency & Executive Appointments (Pvt) Ltd 10th Floor Michael House 38B N Mandela Av Tel: 04 704881/2/3/4 or 04 707743/4/5/6 Fax: 04 702214 |
Roberts & Kirby Employment consultants, 6th Floor CABS Centre, J Moyo Av, PO Box 2343 Tel: 04 707424/5 or 04 727730 or 04 727718 or 04 729210 Fax: 04 736866 |
Local newspapers can be consulted for job advertisements both Civil Servant jobs as well as private jobs. Currently, There is a high demand for jobs advertised through the newspapers. Since there is a shortage of teachers, nurses, doctors, or university lecturers, returnees with these occupations may have a wider range of choices.
Those interested in government jobs can conduct the following: The Secretary, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, 12th Floor Compensation House Central Av 4th St P Bag 7707 Tel 04 790871/2 or 04 796451/0 or 04 796460.
Self Employment
Many returnees start their own businesses due to the high unemployment rate in the country. Common businesses include: poultry, sewing, hair saloons, candle making, cattle ranching - farming, driving School, small grocery shops, bottle stores, grinding mills, taxi business and photography.
Setting up a Business
Setting Up your Own Business : Getting the Idea
Developing a business idea is a matter of creating a vision, leveraging your strengths and determining what the market needs. These three steps should get you started.
Create a vision
Close your eyes for a few minutes and conjure up a detailed image of what you want your life to look like in 5 years. Be as specific as possible.
• Where do you live?
• How do you spend your days?
• What kind of work do you do?
• Do you work alone or with other people?
• Who are you surrounded by?
• What do you do when you aren’t working?
Don’t limit yourself to these questions; create a vivid vision of yourself, touching on things that are important to you. These are all personal issues that will impact the type of business you pursue - being a city or country person; wanting to travel or sit at your computer; liking to meet people or work on the phone. This activity will help you create a foundation for choosing a business, making business decisions, and setting clear goals.
It is best to do this exercise with someone else and share your vision. If you can’t, write it down to make your vision more concrete.
Determine what you’re good at and what you like to do
It’s often useful to look inside yourself to figure out what you like and dislike, and where your talents lie. It’s one thing to come up with a winning business idea. It’s another to come up with one that fits your skill set and interests you. Your business has to keep you excited so you can thrive over the long haul.
One of the best ways to do this is to make three separate lists:
List 1: What you’re good at
Everyone is good at something and many skills can be the foundation for a business. You might be naturally organized or have a knack for fixing things. You may be so used to your skills that they don’t immediately come to mind, so assemble this list by observing yourself for a few weeks with an eye out for your aptitudes and by asking people who know you well for their impressions of what you excel at.
List 2: Skills you’ve acquired over the years
Whether or not you’ve worked in a conventional environment, you no doubt have accumulated many. Write down all the work responsibilities you’ve had; think about the varied tasks you know how to complete. Make sure this list is complete -- there should be at least 10 distinct items.
List 3: Things you like to do
List the things you enjoy doing. This may not be as easy as it sounds. This list should be at least 10 items long. Stretch beyond your hobbies and interests that spring to mind immediately.
When you are contemplating business possibilities, keep in mind that you don’t have to stay in the business you start forever. You can run a business for a few years until you come up with an off-shoot idea or are in a position to start a more capital-intensive business.
Keep your business antenna up, with an eye out for unfilled opportunities.Research the market by:
o Reading the newspaper and magazines
o Watching television
o Talking to people
o Going to the shopping districts
What products or services would you want that you haven’t been able to find?
Is there something that everybody hates to do that you can do for them?
Is there a product or service that would make life easier for people you know?
What business trends are happening that you want to participate in?
Are there gaps in the market that you can fill with your talents? What are they?
Now... Write down some potential business ideas and be specific.
(Source : OPEN: SMall Business Network, 2007)
Banking Accounts & Procedures
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe www.rbz.co.zw is the central bank that oversees Banks, Financial Institutions and Building Societies operating in the country.
The following are requirements for opening a bank account:
1. Metal identity card/Metal drivers licence/valid passport plus long birth certificate,
2. Proof of residence in the form of electricity/water rates/Telone Bill in the name of applicant:
• If it is a landlord/tenant relationship, then a copy of the current lease/rent agreement or affidavit from landlord authenticated by a commissioner of oaths who is a lawyer, showing the lawyers physical address and contact numbers,
• If it is a husband/wife relationship a marriage certificate is required,
• If it is a parent/child relationship a birth certificate is required.
3. Two passport sized photos
4. Current payslip/source of income
5. Certifying is to be done by bank officials only, therefore bring in copies and originals
6. Complete forms using a black pen only
Internet banking and online banking is available from selected banks throughout the country.
Overseas transactions (cash and goods) from abroad
It is possible to transact cash and goods from abroad into Zimbabwe. Western Union is available in all major cities and people can locally get their cash in foreign currency US$/GBP. The transaction charges are paid by the sender, meaning the recepient does not pay any charges.
Homelink also facilitates the transfer of cash via Money gram. The recipients in Zimbabwe get their cash in foreign currency from designated Stanbic or NMB branches across the country.
Opportunities to access credit to start a business
There are limited opportunities to access credit to start a business. There is a long process whereby one gets registered with the Ministry of Youth Development, Gender and Employment Creation. After meeting the necessary requirements one has to wait for the funds. Currently there are no soft loans available from banks, financial institutions or building societies to sustain small businesses. The loans that are available attract interest rates of over 600% per annum.
Possibilities of financial support available from public institutions
It is difficult for most people to get financial support from public institution like banks because of the high interest rates that are being charged when making the bank payments.
State Unemployment assistance
There are different packages that are available from the Ministry of Youth Development, Gender and Employment Creation www.mydgec.gov.zw that are meant to assist the unemployed population. The assistance comes in the form of soft loans from the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ) to start small businesses, training and workshops. A business plan or project proposal is a prerequisite for applicants in need of soft loans to start up their businesses.
Pension system and opportunity to access it by returnees (including the recognition of foreign pensions)
NSSA www.nssa.org.zw is the local pension scheme that is run by the government of Zimbabwe and everyone who is employed in Zimbabwe pays tax and contributes towards this pension scheme. There are different private pension schemes offered by a variety of banks, building societies and insurance companies across the country. One can receive his foreign pension while living in Zimbabwe. One can make use of money transfer agencies like Western Union and Money gram (more details in the next section).
