Mufakose stood up last Friday the 18th of September at Rutendo Hall, and this time, it was different.

The 4th Edition of the MUKA Business Expo didn’t just exhibit businesses; it brought the whole community together under one powerful idea; building bridges and breaking barriers to unite grassroots enterprise, businesses, health, sports, technology and community for a prosperous Zimbabwe.

And that’s exactly what happened. The day kicked off on the run, literally. A community marathon split into three categories: Students, Persons with Disabilities, and the General Community. It was a picture of the theme in motion. Health and sports became a bridge that included everyone.
Persons with disabilities were not on the sidelines; they were on the starting line. Students led from the front. Winners walked away with 2 days and 2 nights at Cresta Hotel, proving that a run that starts in Mufakose can end in a five-star dream.

MUKA Business Expo is the brainchild of a group of entrepreneurs from Mufakose who recognised that high-density suburbs are brimming with talent, yet many small and medium enterprises struggle to access formal markets, proper registration, and critical networking opportunities.

In 2023 they decided to stop complaining and build the bridge themselves. Their inaugural Expo was entirely self-funded and free for every entrepreneur to exhibit. That bold move proved the demand was immense.

Now an annual event, the Expo has grown beyond a once-a-year show. Plans are already underway to expand into seasonal editions; (Winter, Summer, Spring), to reach other locations, and to host workshops, seminars and conferences that keep the bridge open all year round.

This year’s Expo deliberately targeted the backbone of our economy; the hairdressers, beauticians, vendors, carpenters, caterers, visual artists and retailers who operate from backyards, open spaces, or simple table tops. These are the unsung heroes and heroines of Zimbabwe’s informal economy, and MUKA exists to put them on the map.

But this year, they were not alone on that map. The event saw corporates exhibiting side-by-side with grassroots hustlers – the likes of Doves, Mukuru, ZETDC, Red Cross, NBS, EmpowerBank and ZB Bank, among others. That was the bridge in action. A backyard beautician could get financial literacy from ZB, a welder could talk power solutions with ZETDC, and a vendor could learn about money transfer and savings from Mukuru without going to town. Technology met the table-top. Formal business met informal brilliance. The barrier between kasi and corporate was broken in one hall.

The biggest lesson of the day was about branding. No matter how small your business is, you must take bold steps and brand like the big brands. A branded cloth, a clear price list, a proper banner/flier, that is how you cross from being seen as small to being respected as a business.

What is a Mufakose event without Mufakose talent? Local schools brought the community pillar of the theme to life. Mufakose 1 High brought pride and precision with the drum majorettes, Ruzivo Primary warmed hearts with traditional dance, while Mufakose 4 High and Mufakose 2 High lit up the stage with modern dances. It was a reminder that a prosperous Zimbabwe is not built by business alone, but by community, culture, health and youth moving together.

The 4th Edition was more than stalls and sales. It was confidence. It was a young lady who does nails from her backyard realizing she is a CEO. It was a carpenter realizing he needs a logo and flier.

From a self-funded idea in 2023 to a platform that now unites enterprise, health, sports, technology and community, MUKA has shown what happens when we stop building walls and start building bridges.

Mufakose is no longer waiting to be invited into Zimbabwe’s prosperity story. It is writing its own.