Building business strong like a baobab tree
After falling pregnant at the age of 19,
NGONIDZAISHE MAZHURA (NM) knew she was going to be a single mum and had to pull up her socks. Having been inspired and fascinated by healthy living and lifestyle, she started Thandie’s Village, named after her mother. The company uses the Boabab fruit (mawuyu) to make various products. In an interview with The Sunday Mail Business (SM), she talked about her journey as a young and female entrepreneur.
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SM: What motivated you to become an entrepreneur?
NM: Before becoming an entrepreneur I studied International Relations and NGOs, but at the age of 19 I fell pregnant with my now 3-year-old son. I was not employed and was actually still in school for my Diploma. So at the age of 19 I knew I was going to be a single mum and had to pull up my socks.
SM: How easy was it to venture into business?
NM: Getting the business started was one of the hardest things, but also the best learning curve for me. I had a young baby at that point and I wanted to have a source of income doing a business that I enjoyed.
I honestly underestimated the amount of work that I had to put in just to start and get the business running.
I had always been inspired and fascinated by healthy living and lifestyle and I was even more inspired by the baobab tree. All it’s benefits and how everything from it can be used and how it was neglected buy us, humans.
What motivated me was how neglected this superfood was in Zimbabwe to the extent that it is mostly consumed by animals, yet it is a super-fruit and nothing from it is disposed since everything has a use from the roots to the leaves of the tree.
SM: Tell us about some of the opportunities that the baobab tree offers.
NM: There are so many opportunities in the baobab range of products and to be honest, this is just the beginning for us as there are many more products we are going to be introducing. Our business has a lot of export potential that we have not yet tapped into at a large scale, but are currently working towards it.
SM: Can you highlight some of your products?
NM: Some of the products we produce are baobab coffee that is produced traditionally. This coffee contains zero caffeine and is packed with plenty of health benefits like potassium and phosphorus. Our baobab powder that is used in smoothies, salads, shakes, baking and more has 10 times the Vitamin C than in an orange, four times the iron in spinach and disease-fighting antioxidants. Our baobab oil is organic and packed with anti-ageing properties, helps relieve eczema and helps remove stretch marks to name a few.
SM: How do your market your products? NM: Our most effective marketing initiatives are content marketing, social media marketing, affiliate marketing, expos, influencer marketing and some marketing skills that we are yet to introduce more marketing skills.
SM: Talk to us about some of the key lessons you have learnt.
NM: Some of the key lessons I have learnt are patience and humbleness. I have grown to learn that it takes a lot of time to create something and I definitely need to be patient with the process.
In terms of humbleness, I have a lot to learn from other entrepreneurs and other people in my line of business.
When I do something wrong I take that as a learning curve when I am being corrected.
SM: Talk to us about your growth plans. NM: We definitely do have expansion plans, we thrive to be the biggest baobab supplier in Zimbabwe in the next five years tapping into the local and international market.
SM: This year you exhibited at the Zambia Agriculture and Commercial Show under ZimTrade. What role is the organisation playing in your journey as
an entrepreneur?
NM:
ZimTrade played any important role in my journey. I have learnt a lot from them, from how to run my business, to how to take care of myself as an entrepreneur. They have given me the opportunity to travel and look for other market opportunities in and out of Africa.