Namibian Twapewa Kadhikwa inspires Zim women
Growing up in Namibia, Twapewa Kadhikwa had no other dream except leading an opulent life where she would never lack for anything.
BUT she knew such a life would be achieved through hard work, determination and proper planning. The prospects of cruising in a latest convertible pimped with all the latest gadgets and swinging high among the nouveau riche got her into action.
So determined was she to fulfil her dream that Twapewa became her own boss at 18 - running a salon - when her peers were still in school.
Today she is one of Namibia’s young successful entrepreneurs who have spread her business tentacles in cosmetics, chicken farming and is a well known restaurateur, who runs the famous Xwama Restaurant in Namibia.
In addition to manufacturing Namibian range of products, well known in her country as Pewa, Twapewa runs a chicken farm with a capacity of 8 000 birds and employees over 120 people.
“I love success. I cannot imagine life without success,” enthused the 35-year old entrepreneur during an interview in Harare last week.
Twapewa was among regional speakers that graced the highly subscribed one-day NamZim Newspapers Empowering and Mentoring Women in Leadership Conference held in Harare last week.
Getting an opportunity to speak at the conference attended by astute and successful businesswomen from the region, among them South African Gerry Rantseli, TelOne chief executive Ms Chipo Mtasa, Mrs Ednah Mukurazhizha and Malawian lawyer Ms Seodi White, was an affirmation of the region’s confidence in her entrepreneurial skills.
Speaking at the event, which was officially opened by the First Lady, Dr Grace Mugabe, couldn’t have come at a better time for the young entrepreneur who has set her sights beyond her country and wants to go regional.
Over the years, her influence in her local community, Katurura has grown especially in enterprise development, youth and women economic empowerment.
From being an excitable youth bursting with several entrepreneurial projects, with no financial backing but spurred by passion, Twapewa is now a force to reckon with among fast rising young businesswomen in Windhoek.
Her youthful business ideas have not only fattened her pocket, but they have also earned her fame and recognition in her country.
“Entrepreneurial-ship is something that I understand very well and has shaped who I am. I also believe that coming from a community like Katutura, the most significant opportunity available to create change is that of entrepreneurship.
“This is because there are so many challenges especially on the socio-economic front,” she said.
Exhibiting a high level of ingenuity and enthusiasm in entrepreneurship, Twapewa believes she can ably speak on entrepreneurship having navigated her way around the area for years.
Twapewa said her journey to financial independence began when she was barely in her teens.
“I can speak authoritatively on it (entrepreneurship) because I was an entrepreneur at a very young age and even supported my studies at the University of Namibia from the earnings I derived from my activities,” she said.
Imbue with a passion to succeed and having measured her capabilities, Twapewa realised that she could do more by manufacturing and expand her territory.
In 2005, she took a leap of faith and went for training in South Africa, a decision that enabled her to start a company that manufactures a local range of products that were to be christened “Pewa”.
Despite her achievement, Twapewa realised that she had an obligation to empower as many women as possible, who were still struggling to find footing in business.
“I formed small groups of cooperatives for women in the northern parts of Namibia that were responsible for harvesting the oil for my business,” she recalled.
This became a lifeline for several women, who up to this day are grateful for the initiative that gave them a solid foundation to kick start income generating projects.
Still not convinced that she had reached the zenith of her entrepreneurial capabilities, in 2008 Twapela teamed up with her husband and started a traditional restaurant, a concept that was unique in Namibia during that time.
Xwama Cultural Village and the tradi- tional restaurant became a hit with locals, business executives and even tourists because of its unique traditional cuisine matched by unparalleled service.
Her chicken farm project further affirmed Twapewa as an entrepreneur of repute despite her age.
Looking back, Twapela believes that her determination to become financially independent was her major trump card.
“It was the lure of financial freedom and the challenge of mapping my own destiny while determining the pace of my life that pulled me into business,” she revealed.
She believes that a lot of people have innate entrepreneurial skills, but are numbed by fear of failure.
“Far too often many people have great ideas that will spawn awesome business empires, but they lack determination to push their dreams into concrete and achievable plans,” she revealed.
Twapewa, who is also an entrepreneurial coach, says the greatest undoing of most start-ups is lack of management.
“In start-up companies the entrepreneur becomes so involved in their business that they do not understand growth. Many start-ups fail because nobody manages them,” she noted.
Notwithstanding its challenges, Twapewa believes entrepreneurship is a journey that everyone should walk- and with haste.
“Unless you are blessed with eternal life, which is divinely hinged like that of the Biblical Abraham who lived to more than 100 years, you need to start working on your start-up, now!
Twapewa has since embarked on a continental empowerment programme that will create a think tank of entrepreneurs.
Dubbed Afro-Entrepreneurs, the project will bring aboard experts from different countries to brainstorm strategies needed to sustain current business models, while embracing new ones in line with modern trends.
“As Africa, we need to start planning about the future of this continent in terms of harnessing resources and ideas and grow beyond what we currently have in terms of business ideas.”