BY STAFF WRITER
Nardopay has emerged as the overall winner of Old Mutual’s sixth Value Creation Challenge (VCC6), capping a nationwide entrepreneurship programme that attracted 1,130 applications and equipped emerging businesses with training, mentorship, incubation and market exposure.
The programme brought together entrepreneurs from across Zimbabwe through a rigorous selection and development process that culminated in 14 finalists competing for recognition across technology, creative industries, sustainability and emerging industries.
Of the applications received, 751 were successfully completed, with women accounting for 33.5% of applicants.The programme began with the VCC Business Clinics Tour, which reached entrepreneurs across the country with practical business support and guidance on innovation, venture readiness and business development. Following the application process, the Top 100 were selected, with women making up 40% of the cohort and 51.5% based outside Harare.
Four training sessions were subsequently conducted, before further screening saw 24 entrepreneurs progress to an intensive Bootcamp. The Bootcamp focused on mentorship, business refinement and pitch preparation, culminating in 14 finalists. The finalists then exhibited their businesses at the VCC6 Showcase Day at Mutual Gardens in Harare, where they connected with potential customers, investors, partners and business leaders, gaining market feedback and opening opportunities for future growth.
The VCC6 finals brought together Old Mutual leadership, government representatives, development partners and industry stakeholders, including Charge d’Affaires Dr Joanne Abbot, representing the British Embassy Harare, and representatives from the British Council, ZADT, SNV, the Embassy of Switzerland and the UDUGU Institute.
Speaking at the finals, Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Tino Machakaire underscored the importance of creating opportunities for young people to participate meaningfully in the economy.
With 72.3% of Zimbabwe’s population under the age of 35, the Minister described youth empowerment as an economic imperative and encouraged the finalists to look beyond the competition and continue building. “Entrepreneurship is a journey, not a single event. Continue learning, innovating and building.”
British Embassy Charge d’Affaires Dr Joanne Abbot highlighted that the long-term potential of such entrepreneurial support was illustrated by the experience of VCC alumni such as DawaMom, a start-up supported under VCC3. Public
Co-founded by medical doctor and engineer Tafadzwa Munzwa, DawaMom has developed an AI-enabled platform supporting maternal and reproductive healthcare and has since expanded into Zambia, while maintaining early operations in Zimbabwe.
“The Value Creation Challenge can serve as a channel for innovation. DawaMom, supported under VCC3, is one example of how ideas nurtured through the programme can evolve into solutions addressing real challenges and reach markets beyond Zimbabwe,” said Dr Abbot. The example points to the importance of an ecosystem that can help entrepreneurs take ideas from early-stage development into sustainable enterprises. The British Council emphasised the need to strengthen that ecosystem through access to skills, networks and markets. “Zimbabwe does not have a shortage of ideas. It has an opportunity to build stronger pathways around them. The Value Creation Challenge demonstrates what is possible when entrepreneurs have access to the skills, networks, markets and support they need to turn promising ideas into resilient enterprises,” said Dr Lloyd Anderson, British Council representative.
For Old Mutual, this broader ecosystem approach is central to the work of the Eight2Five Innovation Hub. Old Mutual Zimbabwe Group Chief Executive Officer Samuel Matsekete said the organisation’s approach aligns with the country’s broader youth empowerment agenda.“We commend the Ministry for the recent launch of the National Youth Empowerment Strategy 2026-2030, which provides an important framework for unlocking the potential of Zimbabwe’s young people. The Value Creation Challenge shares many of the same aspirations, particularly around entrepreneurship, innovation, skills development and economic participation. The work that happens through the Eight2Five Innovation Hub extends beyond funding. It is about building businesses that can scale, access markets and
create sustainable value.”
Old Mutual Zimbabwe Group Chief Customer & Operations Officer Gloria Zvaravanhu reflected on the resilience required to reach the final stage, highlighting the personal development that accompanies the entrepreneurial journey. “Today marks the culmination of a long and demanding journey for the finalists gathered here. Long before this afternoon, they sat through business clinics, endured boot camps, refined their pitches, and opened their ideas to scrutiny from mentors, judges and, at times,from each other. That is not an easy road.”
She said some of the most valuable support entrepreneurs receive cannot be measured in financial terms. “The most valuable thing we can offer a young founder is not always a cheque, but a mentor who picks up the phone, a market linkage that opens a door, or simply the confidence that comes from being taken seriously by people who have walked the path before.”
The competition recognised entrepreneurs across several categories, with Nardopay taking the overall title as well as the Innovative Technology overall pillar award. Public VCC6 Winners
VCC6 Overall Winner ( CEO’s Cheque) :Nardopay
Innovative Technology: Nardopay
Sustainability: Hekhani Seeds
Creative Industries: Daily Brand
Emerging Industries: Nanopath
Climate Smart Innovation: Bakhar
As VCC continues to evolve, partners are looking beyond individual editions to the longer-term outcomes created through collaboration. Old Mutual Zimbabwe Executive Isaiah Mashinya said sustained commitment from ecosystem partners would be critical to supporting entrepreneurs over time.
“An ecosystem is only as strong as the willingness of its members to keep showing up for one another, year after year.” He thanked the British Embassy, British Council, SNV, ZADT and the Swiss Embassy for their continued partnership in supporting the programme.
ZADT Chief Executive Officer Godfrey Chinoera pointed to results from the previous cohort as evidence of the potential for collaboration to translate into measurable business outcomes.
“We are proud to see tangible impact emerging from last year’s cohort. Two participants received financial literacy and proposal development support from ZADT, went on to secure funding and scale their enterprises. This is the kind of impact we want to see multiplied under the Value Creation Partnership.”
The stories emerging from Value Creation Challenge, alumni expanding beyond Zimbabwe to participants accessing funding and scaling their businesses, point to a programme whoseimpact extends beyond the announcement of winners.