News / National
US based Zimbabwean businessman shortlisted among 100 world innovators
28 Mar 2021 at 15:15hrs | Views
A ZIMBABWEAN businessman based in the United States of America, Dr Devine Mafa, has been shortlisted for the top 100 leading innovators in the automotive and transportation award.
The awards will be conferred at International Transportation and Automotive Summit (ITAS_ Conference in America in June this year.
Speaking from his base, Dr Mafa, who is the founder and director of Hende Moto, which produces three-wheeler vehicles and has a plant in Kwekwe, was ecstatic about the nomination saying he felt honoured to be shortlisted for such an award.
"I have been nominated as an industrialist in the United States of America. I've been nominated as one of the top 100 leading innovators in the world in the motor vehicle industry.
"That says a lot for somebody who came from Zimbabwe…came to America and studied several businesses," he said.
"I am very happy, that means Hende Moto would be able to get funding from many investors and be able to build technically advanced infrastructure in Africa and manufacturing systems because people will trust us."
Dr Mafa said his recognition was significant, noting that the outside world will realise that Africa needs to stand alone and genuinely innovate around its own environment.
The Hende Moto plant in Kwekwe is importing 75 percent pre-assembled three-wheeler vehicles. Plans are afoot to have the units manufactured in Kwekwe.
"We have to innovate along with nature because we are in Africa and we have a lot of junk being brought in and dumped in Africa.
"We are going to change that, and we're looking for this opportunity, which is happening to us now.
"We can't act like we are in 1963 when we were just consumers and because we are assumed not to have had the education to produce, manufacture and engineer," he said.
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority has licenced Hende Moto to offer car hiring service in the country's hospitality industry. The company was registered in Zimbabwe in June 2019.
The awards will be conferred at International Transportation and Automotive Summit (ITAS_ Conference in America in June this year.
Speaking from his base, Dr Mafa, who is the founder and director of Hende Moto, which produces three-wheeler vehicles and has a plant in Kwekwe, was ecstatic about the nomination saying he felt honoured to be shortlisted for such an award.
"I have been nominated as an industrialist in the United States of America. I've been nominated as one of the top 100 leading innovators in the world in the motor vehicle industry.
"That says a lot for somebody who came from Zimbabwe…came to America and studied several businesses," he said.
"I am very happy, that means Hende Moto would be able to get funding from many investors and be able to build technically advanced infrastructure in Africa and manufacturing systems because people will trust us."
The Hende Moto plant in Kwekwe is importing 75 percent pre-assembled three-wheeler vehicles. Plans are afoot to have the units manufactured in Kwekwe.
"We have to innovate along with nature because we are in Africa and we have a lot of junk being brought in and dumped in Africa.
"We are going to change that, and we're looking for this opportunity, which is happening to us now.
"We can't act like we are in 1963 when we were just consumers and because we are assumed not to have had the education to produce, manufacture and engineer," he said.
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority has licenced Hende Moto to offer car hiring service in the country's hospitality industry. The company was registered in Zimbabwe in June 2019.
Source - chronicle
