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Flora Fadzai Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
HE left a white-collar job and went to the streets to sell on pavements in Bulawayo’s city centre.
For someone who started as a street vendor rising to become one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the city operating supermarkets, restaurants, butcheries, bakeries, and service stations is more like a fictitious tale.
It is his success that makes people wonder if he really was a vendor or he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Meet Bulawayo-based entrepreneur Mr Dumisani Ncube who rose from the dust to become a successful businessman.
A teacher by profession, Mr Ncube left the profession in 2005 to become a street vendor, the foundation of his success story.
Today, he is a proud owner of a chain of supermarkets, restaurants, butcheries, bakeries, and service stations.
Mr Ncube, who is the founder of the Bulawayo Upcoming Traders Association, employs more than 70 workers.
After trading the chalk for bananas, Mr Ncube was ridiculed by friends and relatives, but was not deterred.
“At the time, many could not understand why I decided to leave a white-collar job for an informal one on the streets. I remember my girlfriend ditched me saying she was ashamed of having a boyfriend who was a vendor,” he said.
Mr Ncube said he moved around the city centre selling bananas in a push cart for about a year during which he saved money.
At the height of the economic challenges in 2007, the country was hit by fuel shortages and Mr Ncube saw an opportunity.
“Since there was a serious shortage of fuel during that period of economic challenges in the country, I took advantage of the decision by the Government to allow people to bring fuel into the country duty-free,” he said.
“I imported fuel from Botswana and sold it locally and in no time, I bought my first car, a Nissan Sunny. I would use the car to carry four to five 20-litre containers from Botswana.”
Mr Ncube said he would leave his car on the Zimbabwean side of the border and cross into Botswana on foot carrying empty fuel containers.
“I would carry the containers one by one taking them to my car and then drive to Bulawayo to sell the fuel in Zimbabwe,” he said.
Mr Ncube said he would then package the fuel into five-litre containers and sell to motorists.
“The business grew in leaps and bounds. I graduated from using a small car to hiring a one-tonne truck as the demand increased with some companies approaching me for my services,” he said.
Through hard work and persistence, Mr Ncube aimed higher and in no time, he brought a fuel tanker from South Africa.
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