Abstract
The purpose of the paper is to investigate the influence of human investment on the performance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector of Harare, Zimbabwe. The target population for this study was 609 SMEs of which a sample of 241 SME owners or managers participated in the study. Data analysis was done using the Chi-square test to test for association. The results indicated that human resources and managerial skills do affect the performance of SMEs in the manufacturing sector of Harare, Zimbabwe. Based on the results it can be concluded that staff motivation and staff development are the most important human resources management skills for the growth of SMEs in the manufacturing sector of Harare, Zimbabwe.