Chronicle Editor
Raymond Jaravaza – [email protected]
AT 18, most young men are swept up in a whirlwind of love, mischief, and revelry, embracing the thrill of defying rules and parental guidance. But for five exceptional lads from Mzingwane High School, a different path beckoned — one that led them towards financial independence and entrepreneurship well before stepping into the job market.
Their journey began as a mere school project during their Upper Sixth days, but it soon blossomed into a remarkable start-up that captured the hearts of social media audiences. Inspired by their school’s encouragement to participate in the innovative solutions competition hosted by Emergination Africa, the young minds sought to transform their passion for entrepreneurship into a tangible, impactful business venture.
The fertile soil of their imagination lay in the bustling marketplace of Bulawayo, where an unfortunate abundance of fresh vegetables, particularly tomatoes, went to waste every day. A pungent scent of rotting tomatoes permeated the air during the peak of the season, a stark reminder of the adage “excess of everything is bad.”
In the midst of this reality, a brilliant idea dawned upon them — to find a way to preserve these precious tomatoes and create a product with an extended shelf life. Thus, Pured Agro Processors was born, a simple yet ingenious solution to tackle food waste head-on.
In 2021, the team took part in the National Business Case Competition, facing off against other high schools in Zimbabwe.
Their pitch to produce tomato powder and tomato paste as a means of preserving food earned them a top spot in the Emergination Africa Virtual Innovation Accelerator programme. With this success came the much-needed funding to acquire essential equipment, such as a dehydrator machine and a crushing machine, while they were still students at Mzingwane High, Matabeleland South.
Upon completing high school, the ambitious learners registered Pured Agro Processors as a legitimate business entity under the Companies Act. Their mentor and former teacher, Mr Jabulani Mavolwane, played a pivotal role in shaping their business proposal and continues to provide invaluable support, managing the company’s finances and ensuring they stay on the right track.
Based in a modest space within the Belmont industrial area, Pured Agro Processors faces the same obstacle as any other start-up — inadequate funding for growth. Nonetheless, they have managed to supply their products to shops in Esigodini and Bulawayo.
“Since we are a small upcoming business, we really need capital to grow the business. Right now, money for rent is our biggest challenge. Our tomato powder is made from dried tomatoes, its preservative free and has a shelf life of 18 months.
“For people in the restaurant and catering business, our tomato powder saves time on cutting tomatoes and is convenient to use,” said Tsepo Manganda, the spokesperson of the group.
The core members of Pured Agro Processors — Manganda, Mgcini Lunga, Tinaishe Mhlanga, Goodwill Moyo, and Mandlenkosi Ndlovu — are a testament to the power of collaboration and youthful ambition.
Their visionary teacher, Mavolwane, rejoices in their accomplishments and is thrilled that another team of learners is already working on another life-changing proposal.
“This year another team of learners has submitted a proposal to produce cooking oil from pumpkin seeds and we are keeping our fingers crossed that they make it to the provincial finals.
“We encourage our learners to think outside the box and I’m so happy for Tsepo and his friends. I’ll continue to monitor their progress and hopefully the business will grow bigger,” said Mavolwane.
The school’s headmaster, Mr Stanley Tizora, believes in nurturing students who aspire to be employers rather than mere employees.
He said it’s important that the school produces learners that strive to be employers and not employees.
“The various school projects that we have here make us self-sustainable such as the dog breeding project, an agricultural programme that feeds the whole school and a shuttle service that uses the school bus to ferry day scholars for a fee are some of the ways we are trying to show students to think big,” said Mr Tizora.
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