Harare Institute of Technology, Technopreneurship Development Centre, P.O Box BE277, Ganges/Lawley Roads, Belvedere, Harare, Zimbabwe
Online published on 24 October, 2019.
The importance of rural entrepreneurship in enhancing rural and economic development necessitates the active participation of government in promoting entrepreneurship in rural areas. Hence this study sought to assess the role of government in rural entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe. Its main objective was to investigate the services offered by government to rural entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe, to find out about the impact of government support to rural entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe and to describe the major challenges hindering the effectiveness of government in promoting rural entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe. The study was carried out in Mashonaland East province taking Murewa District as a case study. It involved purposive samples of 3 interviewees from the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation Development, Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-Operative Development (MSMECD) as 136 entrepreneurs who participated in a questionnaire survey. The findings of the study indicated that government offers vocational and technical training to rural entrepreneurs but is not active in entrepreneurship training, financing, mentorship and training and other key entrepreneurial development activities. It also found out that rural entrepreneurship has not benefitted much from government in terms of productivity, sales, profitability and asset increase. The main challenges hindering government support of rural entrepreneurship include poor leadership commitment, skills and financial resources shortage, poor infrastructure and poor entrepreneurial attitude of the rural people. Thus the study recommended that government come up with an effective rural entrepreneurship policy, carry out rural entrepreneurship awareness programs and partner developmental partners promoting entrepreneurship in rural areas.
