Be aggressive in business, youths told

Sunday Mail Reporter

THE business landscape is shifting and young entrepreneurs should be proactive and innovative to succeed, a top businessperson has said.

Addressing the Venon Chamba Business Seminar in the capital yesterday, businessman and legislator Dr Chamu Chiwanza said youthful entrepreneurs should be aggressive in their approach.

He said procrastination is a serious enemy of progress, adding that youths should seize available business opportunities without hesitation.

“There are several gaps in the local economy and I exhort you to take advantage of the available life-changing opportunities being availed in sectors such as agriculture, mining and various services sectors.”

He bemoaned the growing trend of youths who pretend to be successful on social media.

“We are masters of our destiny. I always say that if you are born in a poor family, you must be the genesis, and a rich family must be born out of you.

“This must be the generation that takes over, that invades markets and marketplaces because no one is going to come out of the blue and be your saviour. You have to start in your own space.

“Money is very time-sensitive and the world is moving very fast. Entrepreneurs must, therefore, approach their business with serious tenacity and power, to occupy available spaces in the economy,” said Dr Chiwanza.

He said the emerging global economic frontier offers immense opportunities for female entrepreneurs. “I have been noticing a shift in the world and we are calling it ‘Womenomics’. There is a serious takeover of the marketplace by women and we are looking to have more women of that nature in the local market.”

The seminar’s convener, Mr Venon Chamba, said: “This year we will be inviting successful business people to our seminars so that they talk and impart knowledge and share their experiences with this current generation of enterprising youths.”

The event was attended by budding entrepreneurs of diverse competencies who sought to deliberate on inclusion of more youths in the local economic development space.