Sundaymail Editor
Business Reporter
Wherever they go, Zimbabweans are known for their enterprising nature.
Canada-based Andile Nyasha Pfupa is one such individual.
It is not always easy to migrate to another country, but it takes the eye and mind of an entrepreneur to turn challenges into opportunities.
Representation tends to be a big issue for Zimbabweans in the Diaspora.
“I went to Walmart and I was looking for a doll and there were just all white dolls. I didn’t feel that it was fair to go into a Canadian grocery store and not have a product for the rest of us,” she said.
“There has always been an issue when it comes to representation in not just toys, but cartoons, movies, books. “I feel like we are at a time when we can do something about it.”
An early childhood educator, Andile has launched a business that sells children’s dolls and books that reflect a broad range of ethnicities.
Her business, Bee You Kids, sources the different dolls from across the globe.
“My products come from different parts of the world.”
But who is Andile?
“I am Zimbabwean, my father is Shona, and my mom is Ndebele, this is why I have both Ndebele and Shona names.
“I grew up in Chishawasha, Glen Lorne.”
Andile said she was inspired to take the entrepreneurial route by her father.
“My father was always an entrepreneur and landowner in Zimbabwe, so I grew up around seeing this in everyday life.
“He would pull me out of school to go buy homes and showed me how to negotiate real estate deals.
“This was at the tender age of 10, so this became the norm. I have always been studying business, stock trade, real estate. So, when we couldn’t find black toys for my niece, I decided to create a business in which people in Canada could buy toys from all over the world while cutting shipping costs,” she said.
Social justice is a big theme in Andile’s life and work.
“What I am looking to create is a fair and just society, in which everyone is seen as normal; where we celebrate our unique differences, while also bonding over our similarities.
“Canada opened my eyes to what a world of acceptance, diversity and inclusion can look like. There is no one way to look or be Canadian and I absolutely love that. I would like to bring this beautiful culture and outlook into the world through toys,” said Andile.
On a typical day, Andile works her regular teaching job, and in between her breaks she is pushing her business.
“I am calling clients and business partners, doing emails, and even researching new products, updating my social media.
“Some days I do feel like it’s too much, but I have to look at the goal and keep going,” she said.
Andile says she has ambitions of opening her own physical stores and expanding the business.
Online Reporter