Sky is the limit for local ICT firm

Business Reporter
The founder of one of the country’s leading ICT consultancy companies, Rubiem Solutions, Dr Dennis Magaya, has challenged local businesspeople to expand their businesses outside Zimbabwe, saying there are lots of business opportunities waiting to be exploited across Africa.
In an interview, Dr Magaya said Zimbabweans were held in high regard in many African countries, and this gave them an added advantage if they expanded their businesses around the continent.

“Over the past few years, Rubiem Solutions has managed to spread its wings to countries such as South Africa, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritius, Swaziland, Angola and recently South Sudan.

“We have operations in the country and it really has been quite an experience venturing into these countries.
“Naturally, there are challenges that one has to overcome when looking for business in a foreign country.

“I urge my fellow countrymen to look for business opportunities beyond Zimbabwe, because the opportunities out there are amazing.
“Africa has so many business opportunities but I have seen that in many cases as Africans, we don’t have this culture of investing outside our countries of origin which is not good for business.

“The sad thing is that investors from outside the continent, will then come and grab all these business opportunities. As Zimbabwean businesspeople, we should take the lead in spreading our business wings across the continent and we are fortunate that we have held in high regard in many African countries,” said Dr Magaya.

Rubiem Solutions recently clinched a deal estimated to be around US$1,2 million with Zain South Sudan, which is that country’s largest mobile operator with more than one million subscribers.

In the deal that was clinched in August this year, Rubiem Solutions was tasked to come up with a development and implementation strategy aimed at increasing Zain South Sudan’s customer base by 100 percent within 12 months.

The Zain Group used to be one of the largest mobile operators in Africa, until it sold some of its operations to Airtel.
Now the group concentrates on operations in the Middle East and North Africa.

Dr Magaya said after clinching the South Sudan deal, prospects were high that his company would clinch more deals, to venture into the Middle East and North Africa.

“We continue to expand and we are looking at opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa where the Zain Group is a dominant player.

“We are really looking forward to this because as you may be aware, Rubiem is probably now the biggest ICT consultancy company in Sadc by market presence.

“We just submit our tenders and in most of these countries, we have won the tenders beating other international com- petitors.
“We are very proud to spread our wings across Africa and in the process we are flying the Zimbabwean flag high in Africa.

“This really gives us much pleasure.
“We are demonstrating that as Zimbabweans we have so much to offer to the continent, and we have what it takes to lead the economic development of Africa.

“Like I have always said, we are the ‘rubies’ of Africa and we will continue to champion the improvement of quality of life through ICT solutions that touch every soul,” said Dr Magaya.

He said his company has over 30 highly experienced consultants that were recruited from among some of the top telecommunications experts in the Sadc region.

“Plans are underway to open a Rubies Training Institute in Zimbabwe that will support skills development in ICT.
“If all goes well, the institute will be launched in November this year,” said Dr Magaya.