Switching from Job Seekers to Job Creators: Transmogrifying Necessity Entrepreneurs and Ratifying Opportunity Entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is open for business. Indeed, after a period of over three decades of self – inflicted economic stagnation; Zimbabwe is finally open for business! This is a meritorious development in the history of this country. The limitation to a new Zimbabwe, the new Zimbabwe that we all desire; is the serious lack of entrepreneurs, opportunity – based entrepreneurs. Without opportunity entrepreneurs, the unemployment puzzle in Zimbabwe is likely to remain unsolved. Opportunity entrepreneurs have the capacity to solve the unemployment problem, especially considering the fact that Zimbabwe is a beautiful country characterized by many business opportunities. It’s high time we must switch from seeking jobs to creating jobs. While there are a number of entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe, it is not surprising that their contribution to economic growth remains minimal because the bulk of them are necessity instead of opportunity entrepreneurs. For the economy of Zimbabwe to grow in a sustainable manner, there is need to transmogrify necessity entrepreneurs into opportunity entrepreneurs. The time to do away with the job seeking mentality is now! Zimbabwe is open for business; indeed, Zimbabwe is open for job creators. This paper looks at entrepreneurship, but from an interesting point of view: opportunity – based entrepreneurship view. I systematically make it clear why policy makers in Zimbabwe need to prioritize opportunity entrepreneurs as opposed to necessity entrepreneurs. Policy implications from this analysis are envisioned to assist policy makers in light of enhancing entrepreneurship, promoting sustainable economic growth and fostering job creation in the new Zimbabwe.