According to World Economic Forum, women comprise 58 percent of Africa's self-employed population and contribute around 13 percent of the continent's GDP.
In Zimbabwe, women entrepreneurs are paving the way and breaking barriers against all odds. Based on statistics from the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development in Zimbabwe, about 261,000 women are involved in self-assisted and income-generating projects. One of these female pioneers is USADF Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) grantee Chipo Mabota.
Chipo Mabota is the founder and Managing Director of Cooper and Jones Global Logistics (Pvt) Limited, a world-class innovative customs clearing and forwarding logistics, supply-chain services, and solutions company. In 2020, USADF awarded Cooper and Jones Global Logistics US$25K catalytic funding to ensure medical equipment, food, beverages, and other essential products reach relevant markets during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, with assistance from USADF and LEAD; USADF Technical Partner in Zimbabwe, Cooper and Jones Global Logistics purchased a delivery haulage truck to transport goods within the country and to neighbouring countries. And the impact has been immediate.
In 2022, Cooper and Jones Global Logistics made history in Zimbabwe as the first wholly female-owned business to handle a whole vessel's cargo from port clearance, border clearance, and in-country transportation as the sole agent. This project valued at approximately US$40 million required Cooper and Jones Global Logistics to move 593 trucks of pipes in less than 60 days. Chipo and her company employed more than 1,000 people directly and indirectly to accomplish this.
The pipes are for a project with the Zimbabwe Power Company, which is executing a national project focused on upgrading Deka Pumping Station and River Water Intake System. This project will construct a 42km pipeline, of which approximately 90 percent of the water in the pipeline will be used for power generation and 10 percent for potable water. This project will add 600MW of additional power to the national grid, and three communities (more than 6,050 people) will be supplied with drinking water.
Cooper and Jones saw a significant increase in sales revenue after purchasing a truck with the help of USADF in 2020. In 2021, their revenue doubled, reaching US$120K from US$54K. Thanks to the truck, they could secure jobs from big companies, and their workforce has grown to 14, including two women. They're currently in talks with Zimtrade to consolidate cargo for SMEs.
This impact could not have happened without USADF's financial support and technical assistance, which enabled Cooper and Jones Global Logistics to buy its first haulage truck. With the profits over the past two years, the company purchased four (4) additional trucks bringing a total of (5) Cooper and Jones Global Logistics' association with USADF also made it easier for them to pass the due diligence done by the awarding authorities.