Response:

1. Tips to Apply Successfully:

   • Focus on Marketing and Management: With your degree in Marketing Management or equivalent, highlight your coursework, projects, and experiences that reflect your understanding and capacity to execute marketing strategies successfully.
   • Showcase Managerial Experience: In my experience, most companies appreciate when you package your +3 years of managerial experience with tangible numbers and deliverables. This gives a clear picture of your capability and might align you with the jobs in Zimbabwe that demand such skills.
   • Knowledge of Pastel Accounting: Although it is stated as an advantage, I've noticed that companies appreciate when you can dovetail software skills into your application. Try to showcase any experience you have with Pastel Accounting or other similar software.
   • Driving License: In this case, you should highlight your clean class 4 driver’s license as an additional qualification.
   • Align your CV: Restructure your CV to ensure your career objective, skills, and experience sections mirror the keywords and job responsibilities detailed in this job listing.

2. Areas of Job Listing to Note:

   • How to Apply: Job vacancies in Zimbabwe like this, often require you to adhere to the application procedures. Ensure that you send your CV along with certified academic certificates to the appropriate email.
   • Position: Clarity counts. Clearly indicate the position you are applying for in the email subject. Employers and recruitment agencies in Zimbabwe, as elsewhere, appreciate an applicant who can follow instructions.
   • Customer Service: The job requires both internal and external customer handling. Tailoring your cover letter to include instances that demonstrate these proficiencies can help.
   • Knowledge of Accounting Software: If you don't have experience with Pastel Accounting but are familiar with similar software, do mention this.
   • Driving License: Remember, unless it's clearly stated as optional, consider all qualifications listed as compulsory in job vacancies in Zim.

3. Stand Out in a Candidate Pool:

   • Cover Letter: In my experience, a well-written, tailored cover letter helps your application shine in a sea of applications.
   • Proactive Learning: Self-learning or certification in Pastel Accounting, if you don’t already have it, could set you apart for this job and other job offers in Zimbabwe that require it.
   • Quantifiable Achievements: Focus on quantifiable achievements in your previous roles, and how they would translate to you doing well in this role.

4. Less Recognised but Essential Elements:

   • Safety and Administration Responsibility: The listing requires the safety of cash, adequate stocking, and warehousing. Most novices may not pay much importance to this, but in the eyes of an employer, this responsibility requires high alertness, integrity and efficiency.
   • Branch Profitability: As our organization expects the Branch Manager to actively contribute to profitability, highlighting your skills in sales strategy and financial management will be instrumental.
   • Team Management: Novices may miss the fact that the job listing has a clear requirement for team nurturing and providing a positive work environment. Employers highly value these traits for management roles.

Good luck with your job search in Zimbabwe. Remember, each application is a new opportunity to showcase your skills and demonstrate how you'll be an asset to your prospective employer.