Clever Pote

School / Education

Started working at 16.

Businesses

Pote is the Director of Pote Holdings.

His businesses include; Red Granite Milling, Pote Hill Hotel, Pote Supermarkets, Hardware General Dealers, Pote Transport, and others. Pote's shops are in Shurugwi, Mberengwa, Masvingo, Gweru, Filabusi and Gwanda. In 2011, the company employed 170 people.^[3] In 2013, Pote Holdings employed 400 people.^[4]

Pote Hotel is a 46 roomed-state-of art-hotel and conference centre. In 2018, the hotel received an award as the best hotel in Zimbabwe.^[5] In 2013, Pote's transport company had 26 trucks (30-tonne).^[4]

On 14 May 2021, Pote made business come to a standstill in Masvingo after he took delivery of 25 haulage trucks. The haulage trucks were reportedly imported from China and entered the country through Mutare.

Under Pote Holdings there are several companies which include:

Makanaka Investments

Makanaka comprises of the following business units:

• Pote Transport
• Pote Drilling
• Pote Hardware
• Pote Supermarkets
• Pote Wholesalers

The Clevers Investments

• Pote Hill Hotel

Christine Tech

• Christine Farm
• Christine Private College

Red Granite Investments

• Red Granite Gold Ore Milling
• Red Granite Quarry Mining
• Red Granite Construction and Plant Hire^[6]

Career

According to Pote Holdings company profile; he opened retail shops in Chivi’s Takavarasha area between 2001 to 2003 and became one of the local business persons to be incorporated by the Care International humanitarian organization responsible for accounting, harnessing and monitoring the distribution of food in Masvingo province.

In the year 2004, Pote Holdings expanded and opened a supermarket in Makwasha High Density Suburb in Zvishavane Town. Between 2009 and 2011, Pote Holdings opened Pote Hardwares and Pote Wholesalers.

In 2010, Pote Holdings also announced its presence in the hospitality industry. The company constructed and opened Pote Hill Lodge, a state-of-the-art structure that was elevated to hotel status by the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe in 2013.

Pote Hill Hotel hosted a 29 Kenyan soccer delegation that visited Zimbabwe for a Confederations cup match against FC Platinum.^[6]

Politics

On 28 July 2021, Pote was named as part of the Resource Mobilisation Committee which was appointed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to raise funds for Zanu-PF’s activities including preparing for the 2023 elections. The committee was chaired by Phillip Chiyangwa. Other members of the committee apart from Anthony Clever Pote were Pedzai Sakupwanya, Zodwa Mkandla, Tafadzwa Musarara and Evaristo Mudhikwa.^[7]

Alleged Black Market Activities

Speaking at a panel discussion organised by the Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network (Zesn) in April 2018, Jealousy Mawarire said Pote's Makanaka Investments worked with Tarirai David Mnangagwa’s company to supply the foreign currency black market with bond notes and RTGS balances.

He said:

"Cash shortages were created by two thieves, Chinamasa and Mangudya. They are the ones who raided nostro accounts in banks; they are real bank robbers. They looted all the money leaving our banks dysfunctional. At the Reserve Bank, there is a company Spartan Investments and is owned by Mnangagwa’s son. This is the one that delivers RTGS (Real Time Gross Settlement) balances to street traders. Those who work at the Reserve Bank know that this company is untouchable. It works with another company called Makanaka Investments belonging to (Antony Clever) Pote who is based in Zvishavane. The person who was caught trying to assist Mnangagwa to flee the country was his son called Tarirai David Mnangagwa who is the chief secretary of Spartan Investments."

^[8]

Awards

In 2018, Clever Pote won the Megafest Businessman of the Year award.^[5] In 2016, Pote won the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) Midlands young entrepreneur award.^[9]

Megafest named him among Zimbabwe’s Top 20 Outstanding Men in Business for 2013. Pote Hill Lodge emerged as the winner in the 2012 Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce Hospitality Category awards. In August 2013, Pote was chosen to lead a Midlands Youths Empowerment Retail Association and impart entrepreneurial skills to the group.^[4]

Further Reading