DRAVENTAL Car Hire & Tours is turning its inaugural golf tournament into a platform for corporate networking and youth empowerment, with proceeds from the September 3 event at Wingate Golf Club set to support skills development and digital opportunities for disadvantaged young people.
The Dravental Golf Day, being held under the theme “Powering the Future, Driving Impact”, is expected to bring together corporates, entrepreneurs, professionals and golfers for a day of sport while raising support for initiatives run through Momentous Academy.
Dravental chief executive officer Dr Maureen Mbondiah said the tournament was designed to become an annual event and go beyond the traditional corporate golf day.
“I would like to call this our inaugural golf tournament, as we do plan to be having this each and every year,” Mbondiah said.
“Today is more than a press conference. It is the beginning of the final countdown to a day that we believe will bring together business, golf, networking, partnerships, and social impact in a meaningful way.”
Mbondiah said golf provided an ideal platform for businesses and professionals to develop relationships, but the ultimate objective was to translate those connections into opportunities for communities.
“It will not be simply about who wins on the course. It will be about what we can achieve off the course,” she said.
“It’s about asking ourselves: How can our businesses, our networks, and our resources create opportunities for others? That is the impact that we intend to drive.”
The event will raise support for Momentous Academy, which has been working on vocational skills training, entrepreneurship and digital empowerment, particularly among young women and disadvantaged communities.
Mbondiah said the private sector had a responsibility to contribute towards building a stronger economy.
“At Dravental, we believe that the private sector has an important role to play in building a stronger Zimbabwe,” she said.
“We want to encourage a culture where businesses do not only compete, but collaborate. Where successful entrepreneurs open doors for emerging entrepreneurs. Where partnerships create opportunities for young people.”
She said Momentous Academy had already empowered more than 200 young women through vocational skills training and entrepreneurship programmes.
The organisation now wants to expand its digital empowerment programmes, including access to technology for disadvantaged young people.
“We want to create an environment where a young girl who may not have access to a computer today can have the opportunity to learn, to develop digital skills, and dream bigger for tomorrow,” Mbondiah said.
Momentous Academy chief executive officer Albert Masaka said the organisation’s work was driven by the gap between talent and opportunity.
“I want to start with a truth we live with every day at Momentous Academy: Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not,” Masaka said.
He said the academy trains and mentors young people, women and entrepreneurs in practical skills for employment, business and life in the digital age.
“In the last year alone, as just mentioned, we have trained hundreds of young people and women in digital literacy and entrepreneurship,” he said.
“We have supported small businesses to take their products online. We have helped youth to apply for jobs, learn online, and access resources beyond their community.”
Masaka said the growing importance of technology had made digital access critical for young people seeking employment and businesses looking to expand.
“In 2026, jobs are now applied for online. Businesses are marketed online. Learning happens online. Without access, talent remains invisible to the future,” he said.
The academy is proposing the establishment of the Momentous Academy ICT Hub for Tourism, which Masaka said would provide digital literacy, online learning, job-search and CV support, entrepreneurship and digital marketing training.
“This is not just a computer system. It is a bridge from potential to possibility, from talent to impact,” he said.
Masaka urged businesses and other partners to support the initiative through equipment, connectivity, funding and mentorship.
“Let us have a special focus: Let’s ensure our girls and women know that tech is not someone else’s domain. It is theirs,” he said.
The golf day will offer individual participation at US$50, while a four-ball costs US$200. Sponsorship packages include a US$1 000 gin tent sponsorship, US$300 hole sponsorship and US$200 four-ball sponsorship.
Organisers have set August 31 as the payment deadline.
Mbondiah also called on businesses that have not yet joined the initiative to come on board.
“To the golfers, we invite you to come and enjoy the tournament. To the corporates, we invite you to bring your teams. To entrepreneurs, come and network,” she said.
“Because when we come together, our collective impact is greater than what any one organisation can achieve alone.”
The event’s proceeds will support Momentous Academy’s efforts to equip young people, particularly girls and women, with practical and digital skills aimed at improving their participation in the economy.
