Online Reporter
Michael Tome
IMAGINE having the experience of big city lights in the heart of Europe, the United Kingdom, and even the envied United
States of America (USA). Would you ever think of coming back to Zimbabwe?
But in pursuit of peace, comfort, and self-discovery, the man had to make such an unanticipated decision.
Born in the mid-1970s in Bulawayo in Matabeleland, Richard Mann did not get the chance to stay in Zimbabwe long as he left
the country in the early 1980s for Namibia, then South Africa, where he completed his junior, high school, and tertiary
education.
“I finished off my junior school and attended Sutherland High in Pretoria, South Africa between 1988 and 1993,” said Mr
Mann.
“We had an average family lifestyle, no frills. My parents were both civil servants; they did very well to provide us with what
they did, which in those days in South Africa was still more than most. It was a lifestyle I truly appreciated, but equally, this
gave me an extra push to be more determined.”
It was during high school that he settled for accounting as his path to success, despite it not being his best subject.
“Accounting was one of my weaker subjects, but by my very nature, I’m often attracted to the more difficult things in life. I like
to go for a challenge, and I eventually set accounting as a career. I felt like I would be interested in business, so I went into that
field.”
“I will be honest with you, I was not a great accountant, but at some point, I had a very good accounting teacher whom I really
enjoyed. He was a great guy, funny, and we got on very well, and that was another good reason for liking the subject.”
“Business was not something that ran in our family; my mother was a teacher and my father worked in a Government
department. I felt that if I wanted to change, I had to go for a business degree, thus I did a Bachelor’s in Accounting.”
Mr Mann went on to acquire Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Accounting and Finance between 1994 and 1999 from the
University of Pretoria.
Due to the cost of education and a limited student loan, the young Mr Mann would do various jobs to sustain himself and
finance his tertiary education.
“So while I was at university, I had to work a lot of odd jobs, in the evening, or during the day. One of my first jobs was in the
service industry where I worked as a barman and waiter to make money in order to part-pay university fees. My parents,
obviously, supported me where they could.”
“I think that it is probably important to know that if you can’t necessarily afford university, it shouldn’t be a stumbling block in
your life; there are many ways to go around it.”
After completing his degree in Finance, Mr Mann worked as a share-portfolio trader selling stock exchange packaged portfolios.
According to Mr Mann, the job was really tough, but it was also critical in building his character and business acumen.
“That was a brutal job because it required me to live on commission only and I had to travel around the whole of Gauteng,
convincing people to part with their savings and their pensions to allow us to be able to invest that money on their behalf. The
job gave me a good experience because it gave me confidence to talk openly and honestly to people.”
While at University, Mr Mann had another brewing ambition to enhance his professional qualification, and that was to become
a Chartered Accountant.
“I said why don’t I go for one of the most difficult business qualifications and I challenged myself to become a Chartered
Accountant. So, the natural progression from University was to do articles and be a qualified Chartered Accountant.”
He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with BDO Spencer Steward in 2003 and immediately left for the United Kingdom (UK)
where he worked predominantly in the investment banking and insurance industries.
In the United Kingdom, Mr Mann worked as a Financial Controller at Syncora Holdings, a monoline financial guarantee
insurance provider, which provided credit enhancement for the obligations of debt issuers worldwide.
During this period, Mr Mann had a chance to travel throughout Europe and the USA.
“Once qualified as a Chartered Accountant, I left South Africa, spent seven years working and travelling through Europe and the
United States.”
It was not until 2010 that Mr Mann decided to come back to Zimbabwe after more than three decades.
“I realised that as exciting as the big cities were, I really felt like I wanted to come back to Zimbabwe. I had a young family at
that stage, and my daughters were both under two years old then, and we appreciated the fact that in Zimbabwe, there was a lot
of outdoor life, a great place to come and live, bring up children, and so we came back to Zimbabwe in 2010.”
After relocating to Zimbabwe, Mr Mann embarked on a distinguished career, joining Bindura Group as Group Managing
Director from April 2010 to June 2015.
He then transitioned to National Foods Limited Zimbabwe, where he served as Group Operations Director from July 2015 to
September 2018.
Following his tenure at National Foods, Mr Mann pursued self-employment, providing business consulting services from
October 2018 to November 2020.
In 2020, he took on the role of Managing Director to establish and build The Buffalo Brewing Company (TBBC).
TBBC is the manufacturer of Nyathi Sorghum Beer and was established in 2021 as Innscor Africa’s first manufacturing
investment into the broader alcoholic category. The company entered the opaque beer market with the Nyathi brand in
December 2022, introducing a 1.25 litre Regular Sorghum Beer.
Mr Mann said establishing TBBC was far from easy, given the high level of competition in the Sorghum beer category in
Zimbabwe.
He expressed that his role at TBBC is incredible, given the phenomenal team that he works with.
“Multiplication of energy comes from having people around you, working with you towards a common purpose and a similar
goal. Our biggest success at TBBC has really been down to putting together one of the best teams that I have ever worked with.”
Asked about the short- to medium-term plans, he indicated that he is confident about Zimbabwe’s future and the opportunities,
highlighting that the Innscor group has invested significantly in the country and is committed to growing Zimbabwe.
He said that as an alcohol business, TBBC aims to expand beyond Zimbabwe’s borders to reach other segments and markets.
“In our five-year plan, we are very confident about Zimbabwe. We believe Zimbabwe has a huge opportunity. We want to grow
within Zimbabwe and even outside of Zimbabwe. There is opportunity to get into all other segments in alcohol.”
Mr Mann lauded his chance at being a CA, saying it moulded his mindset in running a business. He encouraged budding
entrepreneurs and managers to be passionate about what they do to have maximum results.
“I’m so passionate about my job that I could literally work 24 hours a day and relish every minute of it. I don’t just like what I
do. I absolutely love what I do.”
Asked about work-life balance, Mr Mann noted that time was the most valuable thing, and it needed to be used wisely, giving
priority to all important areas of life.
He said his life is rooted in five streams that include work, family, friends, sports, and spirituality, and he makes sure to balance
them all.
“You know, money can always be generated, but time you can never get back. My wife, Sara, and my daughters, Kate and Raya,
were hugely supportive from the very first day.”
He expressed heartfelt gratitude to his family for their unwavering support, particularly during the challenging early years of
establishing The Buffalo Brewing Company (TBBC), citing that their presence and encouragement made a significant
difference.
“My wife is my best friend and my biggest supporter. She has been brilliant in that sense, allowing me to consistently talk about
beer. She’s not even a beer drinker, but she is always prepared to listen about it.”
He highlighted the importance of spirituality in his life, saying it is his source of guidance, strength, and inspiration that helps
him navigate life’s challenges and make meaningful decisions.
In terms of staying fit, he said, “I play a lot of sport, I love my running, I gym, surf, hike, climb – I love my golf. I do as much as
I can, but I am not very good at many of them,” he laughs. “I am very average at everything; what I lack in talent I make up for
in enthusiasm! It’s important for me to stay physically active as much as I can, it helps keep the mind strong.”
