In anticipation of what most people agree is the inevitable future shift in Zimbabwe’s economic ambience three friends based in Cape Town have become the latest social entrepreneurs
Their business, Working For Zimbabwe, is a private recruitment facilitation consultancy that specialises in coordinating employment opportunities for Zimbabweans.
Managing Director and co-owner Ilan Wiesenbacher summarises it thus, “Our goal is to address the skills shortages faced by various industries in South Africa by marketing the skills possessed by Zimbabweans”. The idea is to play a role in sustainably capacitating Zimbabweans who have fled to South Africa, so that when Zimbabwe turns around they will be able to return as skilled and useful contributors to the economy.
The company provides an interface between potential employers and Zimbabweans who may not have access to information regarding job vacancies. But wait, one may ask, in light of the recent xenophobic attacks in which thousands of Zimbabweans were victims – how viable is a business that promotes the employment of foreigners? Surprisingly, a number of South African employers are keen to employ Zimbabweans citing their work ethic, education levels and ability to execute as being highly commendable.
In many cases a Zimbabwean can out-compete other nationals in performance and skill. Working For Zimbabwe seeks to align skills with employment opportunities. The company also places Zimbabweans in training programmes with companies and institutions wherever these are available.
“Our final goal is to provide a workable platform to reverse the brain drain in Zimbabwe – so we also facilitate opportunities for skills development. Just this week a group of would-be waiters underwent training and assessment for a high-end restaurant in Cape Town and the 10 selected candidates will be earning upwards of R6000 a month. The difference that this will make not only to the lives of the candidates, most of whom are unemployed and displaced victims of the xenophobic violence, is immeasurable. This is good news not only for them but for their families back home.”
For Working For Zimbabwe corporate social investment and responsibility are not nice trimmings to pretty up the profile of the business. They are key business imperatives integral to the effectuation of the company’s mission. In this light the company has teamed up with the Adonis Musati Project, named after a young Zimbabwean who died in Cape Town while awaiting his asylum papers.
This volunteer organisation assists refugees and asylum seekers at Home Affairs with food, shelter and CV development so that they can look for jobs. Working For Zimbabwe has incorporated these CVs into its database and hopes to help these people with employment opportunities. In addition to this the company assists the project in fundraising for its daily operations in the feeding of hundreds of African migrants who queue at Home Affairs.
At this point the company is growing its database and expanding its operations from Cape Town to Johannesburg with its eye on the final destination of a new Zimbabwe ablaze with opportunities as foreign investors begin to renew their interest in the country.