‘It’s possible I did it’

Prosper Ndlovu Business Editor
WE don’t need Zimstat figures of how many young people being churned out of colleges and universities each year who are jobless. It’s self-evident. At a time when Zimbabwe is seeking to unlock its economic potential through indigenisation and economic empowerment, the challenge is upon the youth and graduates in particular to establish, with support from the government and the private sector, new, innovative, black-owned factories that will expand the job market.

Doing this does not require one to have many degrees or a PhD but a person with a vision, one who can see opportunity and have determination to break through, says Thios Tshabangu, the founder of a thriving young Bulawayo company, Combustion Power Engineering Ltd, which deals with boiler and pressure vessels manufacturing and repair.

In a challenging economic environment like ours, Tshabangu added, not all graduates are guaranteed of jobs yet opportunities abound for those with an entrepreneurial mind.

“It was in 2004 when I formed this company in Bulawayo. I had always thought of running my own firm while I worked for Steam Team Engineering from Masvingo, where I got most of my skills,” said the 43-year old soft spoken man, now director of the firm.

“During my early days at work I channeled the bulk of my earnings to investing in tools for the trade. When I felt I had enough skills to start something I quit my job and came to Bulawayo.”

Tshabangu said making a breakthrough was not easy and recalled how he sweated to get certification for the company and make a mark in a competitive mark.
“I was joined by two workmates and then recruited two more in Bulawayo. Despite the little tools I had, I quickly registered the firm with NSSA’s factory works department where I got a certificate to repair and service boilers and pressure vessels.

“This was the beginning and my business flourished,” recalled Tshabangu, a holder of a diploma in boiler making.
He said the business network and skills he acquired from his previous employer were useful in building a client base when he relocated to Bulawayo.

“My work involves a lot of travelling and I had established good contacts across the country such that when I left work my friends enticed me to open a shop in Harare but I resisted.

“I saw opportunity in Bulawayo and also because it’s closer to my rural home in Jotsholo, Lupane,” said Tshabangu.
“Once I got started, clients responded overwhelmingly and I got more orders because of our emphasis on efficiency.”

He said while the economy was not sound enough, there was nothing to stop serious, aspiring entrepreneurs from making their mark.
“If you make a resolution in your mind it is possible. I did it and at present we’ve got a huge client base outside across the country.

“We’re receiving service orders from customers in places such as Harare, Mutare, Chipinge and Masvingo, Kadoma and Gweru,” said Tshabangu.
Combustion Power Engineering has 12 employees who comprise welders, fitters and boiler makers.

The firm is one of the few local entities who won tender to upgrade infrastructure at Hillside Teachers College in preparation for the 2014 African Union Under-20 Region youth games to be hosted by the City of Kings in December.

The company is based at the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) compound and is aiming at opening a branch in Harare because of increased demand for its services in the capital.

Tshabangu, however, said the company was not immune from operational constraints affecting the entire industry.
“Our trade uses specialised tools for boilers and that requires us to have more spare parts in our stock. Often clients call us on emergency basis when they have breakdowns and we’ve to respond rapidly.  The challenge is we’ve to import some materials that are not available locally and that requires a sound capital base,” he said.

“The other challenge is we get tenders to supply firms and get paid after finishing work and sometimes clients delay payment. That affects us because we need cash to finance continuation of operations.”

From a mere employee in Masvingo, today Tshabangu is one of the few qualified engineers who inspect company boilers in Bulawayo and beyond.
For him what matters is “getting a skill in any field and making business out of it. One just needs to expose his or her skill to industry. You’ll start small but through patience you’ll grow until you get established. It only requires focus, vision and determination.”