Indigenous Wisdom: How African Religious Practices Drive Entrepreneurship Success in Hwange District, Zimbabwe

This study looks at how African Indigenous religious practices (AIRs) impact the success of entrepreneurship in Hwange district, Zimbabwe. AIRs practices have been a big part of many African communities’ culture for a long time, shaping people’s values, behaviours, and ways of making decisions. The authors of this article are familiar with the Shona culture in Zimbabwe which was the main point of reference for African Indigenous Religious Practice. Literature demonstrates, however, that while the Shona may differ from other tribes, the process is essentially the same and the results may be transferred to other tribes with only minor variations. The article sought to answer the Question on how African religious practices impact entrepreneurship success in Zimbabwe. Mixed methods approach was used in this study to give a deep understanding of the lived experiences and points of view of the local business community. It does this by interviewing entrepreneurs, religious leaders, and other important people in the community. Questionnaires were also distributed to gather the general view of the people who are in business and their experience. Snowballing was used to reach 210 participants.  The findings indicate that there is much to be gained from this extensive religious tradition as it has a significant impact on entrepreneurship success.