‘MOB’ contestants get down to business

create pride, wealth and jobs in Zimbabwe by encouraging consumption of quality local products and services.
Just a week after moving into the “My Own Boss” house, the 20 contestants have had marathon mentorship lessons to help them prepare for what promises to be a nail-biting week ahead, where six contestants will be eliminated from the show.
Once the six contestants are evicted, the remaining 16 will then go head-to-head on the 13-episode show that will be screened on ZBCTV and via satellite on Africa Unite channel across Africa and some parts of Europe.
Each week contestants are given real business tasks and within 48 hours to a week, the task is completed and a review of the task with prominent business executives is done in the boardroom.
In the boardroom, a losing team will have one or more contestants eliminated from the show. Judging criteria are based on task profitability, leadership skills, communication, innovation and exploration of new opportunities.
So far, leading businessmen — Nigel Chanakira, the Kingdom Financial Holdings founder, and Tawanda Nyambirai, who is the TN Bank and Lifestyle Holdings founder, have addressed the aspiring young business people giving them sound business advice.
Chanakira told the aspiring bosses of tomorrow that there was no prescription for entrepreneurship.
Responding to a question from one of the contestants, Chanakira said: “Entrepreneurship is not prescriptive, it is all about one’s passion and one has to follow their heart and persevere.
“I have been mentored by some of the best entrepreneurs and they all emphasised on the need to believe in yourself. Faith is also vital when you embark on anything in life,” he said.
Drawing parallels from his personal life, Chanakira said at one point he sold his house in Eastlea and took his wife and children to his parents’ house in Highfield which fortunately paid off.
He also said he emerged stronger after a three-year battle over the demerger of Kingdom Meikles Africa Limited where he was pitted against John Moxon, the then chairman of the group.
Nyambirai urged contestants to be humble in business saying humility was one of the most basic ingredients in business.
Nyambirai, a lawyer by profession, said when he left his law profession he sought employment in a virgin field (bank) where he was naive but he swallowed his pride. The grand finale of “My Own Boss” will be held on August 31, 2012 where the winner will walk away with US$25 000.
The television reality series was started in Zambia in 2007 and all the three previous winners are now fully-fledged business people in Zambia.