Today, the Finance Manager of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Fr. Emmanuel Jongwe, graduated with a PhD in Economics and Management Sciences from the University of South Africa (UNISA).
His thesis, entitled “Entrepreneurship Skills and Growth of SMMEs in Zimbabwe: The Case of Masvingo City”, investigates the role of entrepreneurial skills – specifically managerial, technical, marketing, and financial competencies – in the growth of Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) in Zimbabwe, with a particular focus on Masvingo City.
While the quantitative results revealed proficiencies in managerial, technical, marketing, and financial competencies, the qualitative findings indicated serious deficiencies in these entrepreneurial skills. The ranking of skills, based on their perceived impact on the growth of SMMEs, placed financial skills as having the least impact, followed by marketing skills. Technical skills were seen to have a greater impact, while managerial skills were considered the most impactful, with most participants agreeing that they positively influence SMME growth.
The study concludes that enhancing managerial, financial, marketing, and technical skills through targeted training is crucial for the sustainable growth of SMMEs.
Congratulations to Fr. Pamire Emmanuel Jongwe, PhD (Student No. 67142036), on this remarkable academic achievement!
Supervisor: Prof. Watson Ladzani
Co-Supervisor: Prof. Solly Seeletse
