Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
HE left his “good paying” job as a retail shop manager to sell electrical gadgets operating from a small cabin measuring two-square metres.
To him, the present was never important as he focused on the future.
Over the last two decades, his business has grown into a household name in Victoria Falls.
Bulawayo-born Victoria Falls businessman, Mr Shadrech Hukuimwe, better known as Shaddy, established Gadget Connections trading as Sat Com, to sell electrical and household goods at the turn of the millennium.
He is also the sole registered Multichoice agent for Dstv services in Victoria Falls.
The business growth is a fruit of integrity and focus.
“Focus, hunger for growth and development is what has taken us this far. I have always wanted to achieve a certain level in life and I have always told myself to remain focused no matter what challenges I face. Once you have that zeal to grow, and work hard, you don’t lose focus and nothing can stop you in life,” said Mr Hukuimwe (44).
He is a marketing graduate from Bulawayo Polytechnic where he obtained a national diploma before attaining another diploma in human resources from Speciss College also in Bulawayo.
The businessman did his primary education at Baines Infant and Junior in Bulawayo before going to Gloag, Plumtree and St Columbu’s for his secondary education.
He got a job at a retail shop in Bulawayo before being transferred on a promotion as a shop manager for the Victoria Falls branch in 2001.
He worked for a year as a shop manager before taking a bold step that was to shape his future into the top businessman he is today.
He said he saw some opportunities in Victoria Falls and little did he know that he would become the sole Multichoice agent in the city, and the major supplier of electrical and household goods for the community and hotel industry.
“I worked for a year and noticed that there were golden opportunities in Victoria Falls which is how I decided to open my own business. I was with another gentleman who is now late and we rented a small cabin selling electrical gadgets including satellite dish appliances and decoders.
“Business started booming and we moved to a slightly bigger space. What I can say is that honesty and financial discipline is the pivot in business. This brings efficiency and integrity and eventually you earn the support and trust of people and local market,” said Mr Hukuimwe.
He employs six people and his wife Liyeza is co-director.
“We are the only accredited and official Dstv agent in Victoria Falls and all our staff was trained and groomed by Multichoice.
We basically do everything that Dstv branches in Bulawayo and Harare do like accounts activation, registration and others.
“We have diversified to other things that are needed by the community and tourism industry in Victoria Falls like TV sets, beds, stoves and lounge sets. What makes us unique and a family shop is that we have packages that are affordable and favourable to people.
We believe in our community and they open accounts for goods that they want without hustles like having to produce pay slips.
With Victoria Falls being a small community it’s rare for people to disappear without paying and the only challenges we have faced are death of customers but as a community shop, we have cancelled such deaths because we serve the community,” said Mr Hukuimwe.
He has started a number of projects as a way of giving back to the community.
Two years ago, he introduced a bike hire package to empower youths to offer services to tourists who wanted to offer community tours to tourists around high-density suburbs and around town.
The product was an attraction before Covid-19 hit leading to closure of the tourism industry.
Hopes are high that as the industry slowly reopens, the bike hire product will resume.
Mr Hukuimwe however, said while Covid-19 hit hard across the whole spectrum of the economy, the demand for his goods was high as people needed to be entertained while locked in their homes.
His major challenge during lockdown has been procurement of stock owing to closed borders and local manufacturers.
He imports from South Africa, Botswana, Dubai and China.
“We are a community-based business and people continued to buy our goods even on credit because they wanted to watch TV in the comfort of their homes or sleep in proper beds,” he said.
He plans to expand to other towns especially mining communities like Hwange and Zvishavane.
“We feel that’s where our real clientele is. Big towns have rich people who can fly to buy outside the country but these ones buy locally. “Hard work, focus, and financial discipline are key to business”, Mr Hukuimwe reiterated. — @ncubeleon
Online Reporter