Challenges and opportunities exposed by Covid-19
Although the Covid-19 pandemic caught most of the business world off guard and the associated lockdowns exposed numerous operational challenges, a local young entrepreneur focussed on the exposed opportunities and seized them with both hands.
A 31-year old lecturer at a Namibian university, Jerry Chikambi, said where others saw challenges, he instead saw new prospects. In this regard, he grabbed the opportunity provided by the corona pandemic to diversify his business portfolio, expanding from a financial consulting firm into the supply and sale of Covid-19 protective gear and associated products.
Chikambi, who hails from Rundu in the Kavango East region, told New Era that the 17 March forced lockdown provided an opportunity to diversify his business offering of goods and services to include facemasks, thermometers, liquid dispensers, sanitisers and protective gear.
“Joseph Makombe, a friend of mine in the pharmaceutical business, recognised my selling acumen and advised I should gradually tap into the supply of these products, which I was able to procure in South Africa with the help of a business associate in that country,” Chikambi recounts.
Chikambi had already established a financial consulting firm called TMU investments. Upon conducting market research into the feasibility of supplying personal protective equipment and gear, he quickly decided that he could not remain a spectator and would rather supplement government’s efforts in combatting the ravaging pandemic.
“My business hit off running. At the beginning of April, I received my first delivery from South Africa where my major supplier is based. Because I had already initiated marketing my products digitally at institutions such as schools, ministries, supermarkets and parastatals like NamPower, as soon as my stock arrived, I could proactively serve to my client’s needs in an effective and efficient manner,” Chikambi stated.
Chikambi continued that he is fully committed to providing clients with full service so that they can trust to call him back whenever the need arises. This, he said, is particularly relevant given the uncertainty of the duration of the virus coupled with the fact that vaccine trials are still ongoing.
“My model for business is one of building trust and ensuring that my clients are fully satisfied with my performance. When they have questions to ask, I do my best to ensure those questions are answered articulately.”
He is assisted in the business by two employees, namely Jasmine Nakwafila and Yollanda Freitas.
According to Nakwafila, some of the challenges they encounter frequently are delays in deliveries, which she says are understandable due to the stringent protocols with clearing agencies at the borders.
“Logistical hiccups can be burdensome and we have to adapt by working around them and this entails us communicating with our clients in advance once we expect a delay with our stock,” Nakwafila stated.
“Sometimes goods arrive damaged and thankfully we have risk strategies in place to address these shortcomings with our suppliers,” commented Freitas.
Meanwhile, Chikambi noted that by leveraging his products on established logistics and transport firms, TMU is able to benefit from a host of opportunity costs as a result of creating synergies with experienced logistics and transport firms.
Other challenges experienced include dealing with difficult clients who can at times be extremely impatient, but Chikambi emphasised that the business is client centric and believes the client is always right.
Chikambi concluded that he foresees being in the pharmaceutical industry post-Covid pandemic as he says he has grasped the intricacies of the industry and so far, profits have been modest.