For many Zimbabwean women, the hustle is no longer simply about surviving each month, with more women seeking to turn jobs, side businesses and small incomes into assets, investments and financial independence.
The journey often starts with modest opportunities, but the difference comes when income is deliberately directed towards building something that can provide security beyond the next pay cheque.
Entrepreneur Miriro Shiri said her experience doing cleaning and housework jobs while living in Spain taught her to look beyond immediate income.
“The real story is that I started from where I was, with what I had,” Shiri said.
She said the work was physically exhausting at times, but helped her realise that survival could not be her only goal.
“I started noticing that I wasn't just working to survive. I had ideas. I had dreams. I could see opportunities where other people might not see them,” she said.
Shiri said losing her job in Dubai later taught her the importance of building more than one source of financial security.
“Never build your whole life around one opportunity. When you get money please invest it. You will never know what tomorrow has got in-store for you,” she said.
She said the experience also showed her that losing an opportunity did not mean starting completely from nothing.
“At the time, it felt like I was starting from zero. But looking back, I realise I wasn't starting from zero. I was starting with experience, courage and everything I had already learned,” Shiri said.
For women trying to build wealth, Shiri said saving money should have a clear purpose rather than becoming an end in itself.
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“My biggest change was understanding that saving money is not enough if you don't know what the money is supposed to do,” she said.
She encouraged women to consider investing in property, businesses and other assets while developing their financial knowledge.
“Money stopped being something I simply earned and spent. I started seeing it as a tool that should be put to good use,” Shiri said.
The journey can also demand painful sacrifices. Shiri said one of her hardest decisions was leaving her daughter when she was three years old while pursuing opportunities away from home.
“I had to leave my daughter when she was only 3, as a woman that is very painful. You cry daily,” she said.
Shiri said women also needed to learn how to separate genuine opportunities from distractions and avoid chasing every trend in the search for quick money.
“Not every opportunity is an opportunity,” she said.
She urged young Zimbabwean women to start building financial independence even when they have limited resources.
“Learn a skill. Make your own money. Save. Invest. Own something. Understand your finances. Don't be afraid to start small,” Shiri said.
For her, the ultimate goal is to move beyond survival by building assets and passing financial knowledge to the next generation.
“You don't have to become successful overnight. But you have to start thinking beyond survival. Because there is a big difference between making a living and building a life,” Shiri said.
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