Tell us about yourself, history in business and your current business endeavours.
I was born here in Harare, Zimbabwe but I grew up in Kwe-kwe in a small town called Redcliff. I came back to Harare to do my tertiary studies and during that time I got the calling to enter ministry. I attended Bible school and became a fully-fledged pastor. As life goes, I started facing some financial challenges so I realised that I had to go into business at some point. I started a small entertainment company where I was selling DVDs, CDs, and cell phone accessories. After 8 years of the business growing, I realised that I had to diversify and explore other business opportunities.
I always had an interest in the transport Industry so I started operating a metered taxi business, which has been popularised by services such as Uber and Bolt today. I was actually on the road driving the taxi myself and left my brother to run the entertainment business. It was during this time that I met someone who introduced me to awnings and that's how I started the company called Zim Awnings.com. In this business we supply awnings which most people know as door caps. Mainly it’s a sheet of canvas or other material stretched on a frame and used to keep the sun or rain off a shop window or doorway. We mainly get import them from South Africa, then we supply them here in Zimbabwe.
Currently I am solidly planning to roll out a burger business. As much as there is so much chaos in the food industry due to COVID, there will always be a need for sustenance. So in the next six months I will be rolling out my Burger and fast food operation. I have vision of growing into operating my own food courts very soon.
Describe the biggest challenge you have had as a Parent and business person. How did you learn from that experience?
Mostly when somebody wants to start a business, they always talk about capital. It was the same issue for me when I started out. I would approach banks and financial institutions with my proposals in need of financing and I had the door slammed in my face time after time. But then I discovered that it’s not about the capital, but the will and the passion to execute your plans. As long as I am alive, I’m the greatest capital that my business will ever need.
So honestly, I wouldn’t say that my biggest challenge was capital, but the lack of a clear vision and zeal to actually start and doggedly run with a business idea without money in my pocket. If you look at it, most businesses don’t need a large capital outlay to start, it just requires you to visualize what you want to do and start putting plans and action on paper. For example I was telling you of the taxis business, nobody could give me financing to get it started.so I had to think outside of the box. I just approach to someone with a car and proposed a rent-to-buy facility to acquire the vehicle. He agreed with my proposal and we ironed out the details.
From there I started operating the business and was able to complete the transaction with the revenue I generated. So the biggest lesson I learned starting out was that for your business to get off the ground and stay off, it’s all about the passion, zeal and unwavering determination to succeed and not so much material or financial resources. I always go back the statement I heard once, that “Money doesn’t follow people, it follows ideas.” So every morning when I wake up, I pray and ask God to give me at least one idea for the day. I know that one day I will get the one that not only transforms my life but generations to come.
It’s no secret the devastation that COVID-19 has caused, do you think this is a good time to start, build, or grow a successful business?
Yeah, I think this is the right time for anybody to study business. Whenever there is a challenge that is the best time to try and capitalise by developing a solution. Due to the lockdown restrictions the taxi business was very low so I decided to explore other avenues. That is the time we started the awnings business. I was actually overwhelmed by the response and support from the people to business. Many businesses closed during that lockdown period but at the same time many other businesses cropped up and capitalised on the mayhem.
It reminds me of the story of Noah, when the great flood covered the earth. Many people died because of that flood but those were the same waters that lifted the ark and later rested it in Noah’s new home. What may be a disaster to one may turn out to be a saving grace for another. When the lockdown started the borders were closed to travel but good could still move. Then an entire industry of “Runners” was born. That’s how I managed get my awnings supplies.
Who was or is your greatest influence?
My greatest influence has always been God, always. I am a pastor so everything I tackle I try to align it with both my calling and beliefs. At the same time I have a mentor, Apostle B Zulu who has mentored me from the time I received my calling then through my paroral journey. He has been a great influence in my life by giving me direction when I’m lost and open rebuke when I’m in error. He too is a man of God who is in business so I have been influenced by his personal life as well. I just said, if my spiritual father can do this and find that balance between the pastoral life and business, so can I. I can also start a business and follow suit. So the Apostle has greatly impacted my life in so many ways.
What do you teach your kids about entrepreneurship?
Well I’m a father of two kids, married to a beautiful lady named Anesu. Our children’s names are Kupakwashe and Nashewedu. Though they are still young, I’ve begun to see that entrepreneurial spirit and desire in them, especially the eldest, Nashewedu. He is always asking for money to buy sweets, balloons, Easter eggs and the like for resale in school. All in order to raise money to buy one thing or the other that he wants.
Nashewedu is 9 turning 10 and Kupakwashe is 7 years old, so personally at this age I feel this is not the best time for them to start a business. Now I would prefer to engage them in character building rather that the pursuit commerce. I get my inspiration from the book of Proverbs that says “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” So these critical stages they are in development, I would rather focus more on education, personal development and character building.
We will get to a stage where I feel they are mature enough to be able mentally deal with the trappings of making their own money and how to handle everything that comes with it. He is inspired to want to do business because he has always seen me do it. But he does not fully appreciate all the back office operations that I have to perform mentally, emotionally, and physically.
What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken? How did having kids affect your assessment of risk?
I have to say the riskiest venture I have ever entered into was the taxi business. Beyond the usual financial risk associated with a new business venture, there other risks inherent to that particular industry. Thieves and robbers see taxi drivers as soft target since they usually have stashes of cash in their vehicles and travel with no protection. But no matter what, as a child of God, I believed that God will be with me. And remember he said I will never leave you nor forsake you. I had faith that God would see me through.
I put all my faith in Proverbs 91 and meditated on it constantly. Now I’m even planning on expanding the business and have already consulted with key people who I believe can take us to that next level. With regards to the assessment of risks as a family man, I still contend that, the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. Having a family now has only increased my appetite for risky endeavours. I’m not going to be with the family forever so I have to make hay while the sun shines so to speak. I have to make sure that they are well taken care of if the good Lord sees fit to take me away. Besides, risk comes with that territory.
Have you encountered failure in your business? How do you teach your children to embrace and learn from it?
Well, being in business is like planting a flower. You put it in the ground, fertilise the sil, water and care for it. Soon it sprouts and starts to grow till it flowers and starts showing its beautiful petals. But due to various circumstances, some of its petals and leaves may start to wilt. Just because it has wilted does not mean it is dead. It just presents you with an opportunity to explore other ways of doing things.
The same has happened in my businesses, where have hit a brick wall or have done something that did not work out. I have experienced this at some points, but I persisted with what I wanted to do and looked for ways to make it work. I take failure as a learning experience. If you fail 3 times, that’s three life and business lessons you have learnt from experience. And there’s nothing better than experience. When it comes to failure I always teach my children to be consistent. Even in the face of continual failures keep pushing and keep persevering.
How has fatherhood changed the focus in your career?
Well I have realised that the most important thing to me is the family beyond the business. The only reason I am in business is too support them. So sometimes I have to postpone and even cancel some business meetings and engagements just so I have enough time to spend with the family. Financial provisions always come secondary to providing my physical and emotional self.
The negativity that can come from a neglected wife and children may even end up causing your business to fail. So at every turn before I leave to go off to work I make sure that I have that marriage blessing from my wife to successfully execute my business. The only way I can get that is if she is happy. So in a nutshell, my career comes second to me ensuring that I am available as and when my family needs me.
Based on your own experience, what advice would you share with dads who might be just starting out in business?
I would say just take that first step. It’s all well and good to plan and think about starting a business but the real meat of the meal is in taking that step towards actually bringing that vision to life. I have said it before that persistence and perseverance are always key. If I could look back on one the telecoms companies here in Zimbabwe. We saw the man who started it battling giants before a single seed of that company was even planted. Now his company has grown into a global giant and he is counted among the world’s most celebrated billionaires. Some people are hindered by that need of wanting to start big. The established brands like MacDonald’s, Innscor, and KFC all started with a single shop or location. I know it’s a cliché but anytime is tea time. So just take that first step and jump in head first.
What’s the best parenting advice you ever received?
My mentor has always taught me that children learn more from what you do rather than what you tell them to do. If you do not pray or read the bible at home, then don’t expect your children to do so when you tell them to. Every time I am at home away from my Ministry duties, I have to teach my children to live in the world by living the same teachings myself. We read the bible together, we pray together and praise and worship together. I always do what I want them to learn in their presence so that when they grow into men and fathers themselves they have those lessons to carry with them.
If there was one lesson you would want your children to learn now and carry into adulthood, what would that be?
I want my children to know and be grateful to God for everything. when I buy them clothes, shoes, send them to school or even food, as the father I want them to thank me but more than anything, I want my children to thank God. They must acknowledge God in all the things that they do in their lives. I teach my children to grow in the ways of God and continue to grow and develop their passion and faith. So that is basically what I want to teach my children all the days of my life.