29/05/2026
I was watching clips from the Tagwirei wedding and one thing caught my attention beyond the glamour, the money, and the celebration.
I saw Dr. Kuda Tagwirei warmly greeting and interacting with Tafadzwa Chigumbu, the CEO of Redan Petroleum. The smiles, the hugs, the conversations… you could immediately tell this was not a relationship that started at the wedding. There was history, respect, and connection.
And that moment carried a powerful business lesson…
In Zimbabwe, many small business owners are too emotional about competition. Some refuse to greet competitors, refuse to share ideas, refuse to even sit at the same table. Every conversation becomes a battlefield.
But the people building serious empires understand something different…Competition does not eliminate relationships.
You can compete in the marketplace and still respect each other privately. You can learn from each other’s mistakes. You can exchange ideas. You can discuss industry problems. You can even protect the future of your sector together.
Strong industries are not built by isolated players fighting each other every day. They are built by people who understand ecosystems, relationships, and strategic networks.
Sometimes your competitor knows something you do not know. Sometimes they have already survived the problem that is about to destroy your business. Sometimes one conversation can save you years of costly mistakes.
The biggest business people rarely move with unnecessary hate. They understand that relationships are also capital.
A small business mentality says:
“I must destroy everyone around me.”
A strategic business mentality says:
“How do we all grow the industry while still competing to be better?”
There is power in healthy competition.
But there is even greater power in strategic relationships.
My name is John Kudereza - ZimStrategist; The mind behind the insights, strategy & unapologetic truths…I help Zimbabwean entrepreneurs gain clarity and execute winning strategies. I don’t just think outside the box; I redesign the box…
It’s either we win; or we win…
