Globally, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have become engines for growth, and most of these successful entities have grown into bigger companies through innovation. From the emerging economies perspective, literature is scant on innovation, especially in manufacturing SMEs, and how they can leverage it for success. This study sought to assess innovation in SMEs in furniture manufacturing in Zimbabwe. As SMEs seek to grow into larger firms, their ability to innovate becomes their key achievement if they remain operational. Though it is difficult to understand and collect information about SMEs' innovation capabilities in emerging economies, it is important to try and unpack how they can leverage some inherent characteristics they have as SMEs in developing economies. The study adopted a qualitative multiple-case study approach where a total of 24 SMEs were interviewed after they were purposively sampled from the available database from the parent ministry. This study highlights the need for SMEs to invest in design education, register industrial designs, improve their social media presence, create clusters to lobby for government support, and also train employees so that they can add more value to the design activities during production. The study also advocates for more support from the government through design policy formulation that calls for the active participation of all the SMEs concerned. The study findings will assist in developing special programmes for manufacturing SMEs to be innovative.

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