General information about Get In The Ring Zimbabwe national final Competition
Stimulus is the licence holder of Get InThe Ring (Zimbabwe) which is a global entrepreneurship competition that was held on the 27th of November 2015 at The Basement [Celebration Centre]. The event was sponsored by SNV Zimbabwe, an organisation that has been contributing to poverty reduction and economic growth in Zimbabwe since 1983. This move demonstrates SNV Zimbabwe’s commitment to supporting the growth of entrepreneurship and inclusive business through the Inclusive Business Forum with the primary purpose of creating jobs and alleviating poverty in Zimbabwe. The competition was open to the public around the country through an online application process which saw many entrpenrus apply for a chance to win the competition. Of these the top 10 start-ups were selected to participate in the national final. On the night the top ten “battled” in the boxing ring over 5 rounds which consisted of; the introduction of their businesses, Who their team is & what expertise they bring to the business, their achievements so far, their business model and market, their financials and investment proposition and an open round where each could further convince the judges why they should win.
Each pair that battled against each other resulted in a winner and of those winners the judge’s calculated which start-up’s scored the most point per round and the top two were announced. These two then did a freestyle round where they were given the task to convince the judges that their business had the most promise and from that round the winner, Enigma represented by Mr Welldone Zingunzi emerged the overall Champion of Get In The Ring Zimbabwe 2015. The second place went to Zimbo Music an online music platform where you can download local Zimbabwean music represented by Matthew Chiwasa. Third place went to Dee-Kaw-Zee a fashion brand that specialises in custom made and bespoke jewellery represented by its creative director and founder Takudzwa Chitsike.
Enigma won an all expenses paid trip to South Africa for the regional finals that will take place in Johannesburg on the 21st & 22nd of January 2015. If successful there, Enigma will then go on to the global final in Columbia in March 2016.
All ten semi-finalists will get a one year membership to Stimulus and during that period we will invest in helping them develop their businesses towards growth and sustainability whilst ensuring they have the knowledge necessary to support and sustain that growth’ said McCloud Mungofa, Projects and Operations Director, Stimulus.
| Business Name | Represented by | City |
|---|---|---|
| Enigma | Welldone Zinggunzi | Harare |
| Zimbo Music | Matthew Chiwasa | Bulawayo |
| Dee-Kaw-Zee | Takudzwa Chitsike | Harare |
| Hope Masike Music | Hope Masike | Harare |
| Health Plus | Rumbidzai Murambasvina | Harare |
| MilkZim | Cleopas Murenzi | Harare |
| 2fish.com | William Madudike | Harare |
| LinkAPP | Shemaiah Chipunga | Harare |
| Mastermind | Evans Fundira | Bulawayo |
| Harare Tees | Tinashe Chiweshe | Harare |
About Stimulus – Stimulus Africa Foundation [Stimulus] is a social enterprise that focuses on capacity building through mentorship, training and networking for entrepreneurs. Stimulus is a hub that seeks to positively disrupt the manner in which Africa approaches entrepreneurship. The hub was established in 2011 in Harare, Zimbabwe
Stimulus decided to host this event because it gives a great opportunity to high impact entrepreneurs seeking to grow their brands locally and beyond Zimbabwe and accelerate their business growth” said Rudo Nyangulu-Mungofa – Executive Director, Stimulus
Get In The Ring background
Get in the Ring was founded in 2009 in the Netherlands and in 2014 64 countries participated with over 2000 entrepreneurs around the world and in 2015 Stimulus has brought the competition to Zimbabwe for the first time. The competition gives entrepreneurs an opportunity to gain visibility and potentially win prizes that will enable them to accelerate their business growth. The format of the competition is based on a ’battle’ format played out in a boxing ring. To attain the championship position the entrepreneur needs to deliver a convincing ‘elevator pitch’ clearly detailing their business model, unique selling point and requirements for growth.
The winner will gain a regional podium from which to connect with investors as well as to create a fan base and attract new customers. In the battles two startups literally face off against each other in the ring delivering their elevator pitches and showcasing why one business is better than the other. During the battle rounds they present their startup to a jury of Champion investors, and an audience of potential investors and fans, in a competition that can result in a potential investment for the winner.
