Chronicle Editor
Canditar Chapanduka, Chronicle Reporter
The Bible, in Proverbs Chapter 22 Verse 16 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
This has proven to be a working formula for many parents who have nurtured solid business people as a result of the lessons they taught them when they were younger.
For many entrepreneurs, their businesses were born out of childhood passions and home chores assigned to them in their formative years.
Some individuals have become successful entrepreneurs as a result of interests cultivated when they were still young.
For Mr Donald Sibanda from Bulawayo’s Pumula suburb, his car wash business came about after realising he could make money using the cleaning skills he was taught by his father as a young boy.
“My father used to assign me to clean his cars at home when I was growing up. At first, I didn’t enjoy doing it but I ended up gaining interest because it was almost a daily job. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country and we went on lockdown, I lost my job.
“I decided to start my own business and the only thing that came to me naturally was cleaning because I had become passionate about cleaning over the years. I also knew my services would attract a lot of people,” he said.
Mr Sibanda now runs a thriving mobile car detailing company which has worked with reputable organisations such as Impala Car Rentals and Rich Burg among others.
“I also clean people’s homes in different areas across the city. The life skills I was taught as a young boy are now coming in handy as I realise my potential as a business person,” he said.
Another entrepreneur, Mr Casper Jawa (27) registered a touring company in 2018, Explore Travel and Tours, which aims to promote domestic tourism.
He said as a child, he loved hosting visitors at their family home.
Mr Jawa said upon the arrival of the visitors, he would show them around the house and the outdoors where they had a vegetable garden.
“I felt it appropriate for them to know the place so that they can familiarise themselves with the environment and be free to move around. Hospitality is one of my gifts so I decided to venture into tourism,” he said.
“I take people to different destinations around Zimbabwe including Victoria Falls, Kariba, Antelope Park, Diana Pools and Farmhouse Dams of Matabeleland South among many other places. I’m responsible and warm towards my clients who have different moods and speak different languages. I’m not easily offended by what some may view as ridiculous behaviour because it’s an interest I’ve had since childhood. I take my clients on tours for about five days most times,” said Mr Jawa.
“I’m studying Tourism and Hospitality Management at the Bulawayo Polytechnic to gain professional knowledge but most of what I do comes from the passion I have. I don’t care too much about the profit I make but I care more about making my clients happy with the services I offer them.”
Mr Jawa said before taking clients on a tour, he first takes a pilot trip to familiarise himself with the environment.
Explore Travel and Tours offers day trips, picnics, outdoor adventures and bush dinners among many other activities.
Entrepreneur and novelist Mr Courage Mudingi (21) from Nkulumane suburb said his childhood interests are taking him to greater heights.
He found himself writing novels that are now being sold in various bookshops.
“I started writing novels in 2021, soon after completing my ‘O’ Levels. I was good at composition writing at school and I also loved reading novels. I have a novel that is already being sold in bookshops called A Tiger in A Secret. The novel is generating money which I use to cater for my needs,” said Mr Mudingi.
He continued: “I advise people not to take childhood interests for granted because they might help in determining the type of business one can do in the future as well as what kind of profession someone could take up.”
A farmer, Mr Aron Mwenda (34) from Njube suburb said he started gardening when he was 16-years-old as his father loved farming.
He said his father would ask him to water or weed the crops whenever he was away from home.
“It was not easy doing the gardening and carrying buckets to water the plants while others were busy playing. The other children would sometimes laugh at me as I did my chores. But when I was older, I realised that it was a life skill that my father was imparting.
“When I was 23, I started gardening at Njube Gardens where residents were given space for urban cultivation. I started farming different types of vegetables and sold them to neighbours who ran businesses. The vegetable business was profitable so I later looked for a bigger piece of land at my rural home in Shangani,” said Mr Mwenda.
“I grow different kinds of vegetables; butternut, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce. I also supply vegetables to the city’s market place. I’m living off my farming business and would like to encourage other people to love and pay attention to the work they do, even at home.”
Zimbabwe is registering growth in youth-led entrepreneurship, which is assisting the country in creating more job opportunities and diversifying the economy.
The growth in youth entrepreneurship has seen demand for business support from various financial institutions rising significantly as more youths seek to realise their economic potential. @NomqheleC
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