A few months ago, a colleague arranged for me to meet with a young entrepreneur who had requested an introduction.
At first sight, I thought it was a waste of my time, he clearly looked like he had just come out of high school, in his 20s and not like any other entrepreneur I had met before.
Written By Lance Mambondiani
When he (Tatenda Samukange) opened his mouth to tell me his story, it took me minutes to be ignited by the fire in his belly and what he had managed to accomplish at such a young age. Like any hustler from a poor family, fresh from finishing his A-Levels, he worked odd jobs to make a living, taking up a marketing job for an IT Company and buying and selling cars before he got an opportunity to work for a borehole drilling company on commission.
In 2015, he made the audacious step to start his own company. Having no capital, he decided to hire equipment from other drilling companies to get started. By 2017, he had saved enough money to buy his first rig and grew exponentially thereafter.
Skylake Borehole Drilling is now one of the leading drilling companies in the country with offices in Harare and Mutare employing over 60 people.
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| Tatenda Samukange |
From a modest beginning, Skylake Borehole Drilling recently moved into their own custom-designed offices along Samora Machel Avenue and owns a fleet of drilling rigs and equipment of their own.
Tatenda Samukange’s story is one of spotting an opportunity and using the skills and knowledge he acquired along his journey to his advantage to ultimately build his own empire. It’s a story that will provide inspiration and spark awareness to many young people struggling to action their ideas. With or without start-up capital, you can always start where you are, with what you have.
Yes, capital is important, but not as important as the idea or a vision passionately executed. Tatenda Samukange started his business at just 25 years old. If you spot a gap in the market because you believe you can deliver a better product or better customer experience, you have to go for it regardless of your age or background.
This is just one of the incredible SME stories I have come across that I will be sharing from time to time. Please share your journey using the hashtag #MySMEStory and a photo and you and your business and we can spark a conversation from there.
Tatenda Samukange’s story is one of spotting an opportunity and using the skills and knowledge he acquired along his journey to his advantage to ultimately build his own empire. It’s a story that will provide inspiration and spark awareness to many young people struggling to action their ideas. With or without start-up capital, you can always start where you are, with what you have.
Yes, capital is important, but not as important as the idea or a vision passionately executed. Tatenda Samukange started his business at just 25 years old. If you spot a gap in the market because you believe you can deliver a better product or better customer experience, you have to go for it regardless of your age or background.
The only person who is more likely to stand in your way is YOU.
This is just one of the incredible SME stories I have come across that I will be sharing from time to time. Please share your journey using the hashtag #MySMEStory and a photo and you and your business and we can spark a conversation from there.
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| Lance Mambondiani |
Lance Shingai Mambondiani: Lance Shingai Mambondiani is a business executive and current Managing Director of BancABC Zimbabwe. He is the former Chief Executive Officer of Steward Bank. Mambondiani is a lawyer by training and has extensive experience in the banking sector having worked for various financial institutions locally and internationally. Mambondiani left Steward Bank on 31 May 2019. It was widely reported that he had been asked to resign following some forex scandals at the bank. On 25 June 2019, it was reported that he had been appointed MD at BancABC.
