For years, Nyasha Chigavanyika was not aware that what lies next to him was a fortune – all that was required of him was to step out of the comfort zone and go for it. The short period he has been in business has exposed him to huge financial figures that many people can only dream of or realise from a casino. He successfully established a niche market, serving it differently from the existent players in the market.
For years, Nyasha Chigavanyika was not aware that what lies next to him was a fortune – all that was required of him was to step out of the comfort zone and go for it. The short period he has been in business has exposed him to huge financial figures that many people can only dream of or realise from a casino. He successfully established a niche market, serving it differently from the existent players in the market.
Nyasha is a 32 year old entrepreneur and founder of Emily-Emmanuel, a road cargo distribution firm. The South-African based company was named in honour of his late mother Emily and his younger brother Emmanuel. He built the organisation by capitalising his personal savings, having worked in the accounting field for 8 years. Despite being in its infancy, the firm already has a presence in 3 southern African countries namely Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Malawi and Zambia. It offers both haulage and distribution services of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs) including perishable products. Nyasha identified an opportunity in haulage and distribution after noticing that South Africa is the main exporter to countries in the region. He reveals that countries like Malawi import around seventy percent of their FMCGs from South Africa.
Covid-19 Pandemic Slowed Down Operations Forcing The Company To Adopt A Survival Mode
It took financial discipline to establish the business; the initial requirement in raising capital was for him to cut his costs and spend on necessities. His organisation commenced operations beginning of 2020, debt-free with a proper working capital to even cover for unforeseeable circumstances. The company is strategically positioned to be a medium player in the Southern Africa region within the next 5 years. Business kicked off with two international trucks and two interlink trailers with projections of a fast expansion. However, the Covid-19 pandemic slowed down operations forcing the company to adopt a survival mode. The effects of the pandemic have destabilised a lot of businesses due to altered spending patterns and eroded disposable incomes. “Without Covid-19, our fleet would have tripled. Where we would do two to three trips in a month, we are currently doing one and a half,” he said.
I Consult For My Business But I Do Not Pay Myself, I Recapitalise The Money
Nyasha’s strength as an entrepreneur is backed by his background as an accounting graduate and his working experience in the business field. He has held various accounting positions in a number of organisations and is currently employed as Head of Finance and Planning in an International Freight firm. Despite his comfortable career, Nyasha was still driven to start his own business. He puts it that as an employee each new day is a subtraction of days towards retirement. He intends to leave full-time employment within the next five years to focus on his business. Being employed has had advantages to his business. He has avoided adding dead weight to an organisation that is starting off. He uses his salary to cater for his needs and his other financial obligations. “I consult for my business but I do not pay myself. I recapitalise the money since I can sustain my lifestyle from my current salary,” he said.
He is confident that he embarked on the entrepreneurial journey at his optimum and well prepared. A combination of his industrial experience and theoretical knowledge gives him an advantage as a business person. In his present state, he has the right knowledge, the right energy levels and less social constraints which set him up for success in the business venture. Formal employment exposed him to dealing with financial institutions, tax planning and realistic financial reporting for his business which many small businesses struggle with.
He reveals that Emily-Emmanuel upholds professionalism; employment in the company is based on merit not nepotism. Nyasha has observed growth complications in organisations that favour the bloodline over qualifications and has avoided the pitfall from the onset. He also upholds strict financial management since without it, an organisation cannot last. He ensures that there is a distinct separation of the business working capital and his personal finances. The working capital in his opinion is the life-blood of a venture without which it dies. “The money in the company’s bank account is not for me. There should be a separation of the personal wallet and that of the enterprise,” he said.
He Got Himself Through University By Working As A Gardener And Raising Poultry
He finds inspiration from Jack Ma who kept pushing for his goals despite many failures. Nyasha’s life story is far from being perfect. Like most black Africans, he grew up in a financially constrained environment after losing mother at a young age. Instead of becoming helpless, seeking pity and hand-outs, he got himself through University by working as a gardener and raising poultry. It is those difficult experiences that created a strong inner person within him and fuelled his quest to succeed. The difficult years as a less privileged university student also revealed to him genuine friends who shared the same values.
Nyasha bemoaned red-tape and information asymmetry in the African business environment. He reveals that dominant players try to gag new entrants from operating, yet markets cannot be exhausted. From his perspective, African businesses do not understand the concept of synergy-where they can work in harmony each serving a peculiar niche. “Competition in a sector improves efficiency, I know that if I do not do it right, someone else will do it better,” he said. Nyasha emphasises that an entrepreneur should be willing to go the extra-mile and set themselves apart because if everyone else can replicate their business then it is mediocre.
Progress Has Less To Do With Speed But More To Do With Direction
As a nature lover, Nyasha recuperates his spirit by going out for fishing, camping and hunting. Nature makes him see the hand of God in how it runs on its own without interference of people or politicians. He acknowledges the grace of God in his life which has made a lot of things possible. He states that a business person has a responsibility to create an environment that invites the blessing of God in what he does. Nyasha urges other entrepreneurs not to compare their journey with other people because progress has less to do with speed but more to do with direction.
