Starting a business is always fraught with countless challenges and budding entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe are faced with more than a fair share of challenges because of an unfriendly economic environment. However, this hasn’t stopped some businesses from taking off and making a mark in specific niches.
Afrosoft Holdings a Zimbabwean software development house is one such example. The enterprise IT solutions firm was formed in 1999 and has since then lived through the roller coaster of Zimbabwean entrepreneurship.
In an interview with Eng. John Mberi, the founder and CEO of Afrosoft Holdings, he shared the background of the company and some of the challenges that they have encountered and overcome as an indigenous software firm. All this was in a market which hasn’t always been quick to adapt to changes in technology.
By managing relationships both internally and externally, as well as developing a footprint in other African markets, Afrosoft has managed to ride out some very turbulent waves in the software development space. It currently is one of the leading firms in Zimbabwean enterprise software development for both the public and private sector.
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Its extensive portfolio of clients has accessed services related to payments and transactions switching, mobile VAS solutions and customised software. It has also been one of the firms involved in Zimbabwe’s adoption of e-government services.
In spite of all the success that has been registered by Afrosoft through various strategies, the company has had to adapt to the continuous changes in technology which include the rise of mobile technology and an ever growing need to open up to innovators beyond its own limited ecosystem.
These changes have influenced the vision that Afrosoft has now adopted as it turns itself into an enabler of innovation and promoter of local technological content, something that it has already put into action with its Afrolabs initiative.
In his interview, Eng John Mberi touched on the motivations behind this change in focus as well as the general transformation in technology that has affected the Zimbabwean space. He also shared his opinions on e-commerce and technology for financial services.
You can catch the full interview by clicking on this link!
- Technology Zimbabwe