HARARE - Excellence Furniture would have closed a long time ago had it not been for the tenacity and resilience of its owner, Elizabeth Hachi, and her employees. Before the formation of the Unity Government all was bleak and the furniture shop tethered on the brink of collapse.We are now better off than what we were last year, the shop was for the most part closed and I was forced to trim my workers and remained with four loyal ones who accepted going for months with no salaries, said Hachi whose shop is located at the busy Magaba Home Industries.
The dollarization of the economy has enabled smaller businesses to import some of the raw material from outside the country without hassle. Instead of buying some materials in the country we can now buy in South Africa where the prices are far cheaper, said Hachi.
The relaxation of travel requirements for Zimbabweans wishing to cross the Limpopo to South Africa has also been a boost for business operators. Even though things are brightening on a smaller scale, major industries are still to be opened. Presently the country is courting investors to return to the country.
Water woes and power outages have also had an adverse impact on business operations. Shops have often gone for weeks without water, and the unreliable power supplies often throttled business.
There is a serious water shortage here and we would like to see it ending, if there is no water the toilets are closed, there is always