Delma Lupepe Zimbabwe Entrepreneur

Today we feature Delma Lupepe, one of Zimbabwe's successful businessman who has helped create employment and sustain the livelihood of fellow Zimbabweans.


He is one of the richest men in Zimbabwe and “he has seen it all and done it all”, but the now repentant and God fearing Delma Lupepe, revealed that he would rather have God than money because at the end of the day, all his riches are vanity.

In an exclusive interview, Lupepe who is a devoted Seventh Day Adventist revealed that his money never brought him peace and a comfortable life until he accepted Jesus as his personal Savior.

“I have money, not that I am boasting, I am only stating a fact and through my money I have seen and done it all, there is nothing you can tell me about life. There is nothing that I have not done but I am not proud of it. I have been all over the world, stayed at the most expensive hotels, some of the suits I have cost me 30 000 to 40 000 Rand. I have driven almost every version of the Mercedes Benz and almost every car. Right now I have two Porsche models, a Boxster and a 911 which if I am not mistaken is the only one in Zimbabwe, but its all nothing and it does not give me joy.

Right now I have two Porsche models, a Boxster and a 911 which if I am not mistaken is the only one in Zimbabwe 

“And I have dated numerous beautiful women but I can tell you I never got any peace or satisfaction from that. I want people out there to know that all that glitters is not gold. It is better to live a humble and sinless life than to have riches that will lead you to death,” said Delma.


Lupepe, who is the owner of Maydeep Investments, which incorporates Merspin, Gloweave and Ascot Clothing Company, likened his life to that of the Biblical prodigal son who asked for his inheritance from his father and went away to a far-away country to squander it all.

“Just like the prodigal son, I was a youth with money and I used it wrongly. I was a slave to sin and like many youths of to day I believed that life was one big party but its more than that. So I am saddened by what the youth aspire to be. Frankly they should know that quality life is not in money, money does not bring any peace – peace comes from knowing God. All the other things are vanity, Solomon was one of the richest and best-dressed men but he admitted that the lilies on the ground were better than him.

“Don’t misunderstand me, God wants us to be prosperous and rich, he has plans for us, plans of prosperity not of harm. But we should know that riches come with responsibility, the prodigal son was irresponsible and I was irresponsible but I am glad that like him I found my senses.”

Delma believes that God gave him money not to buy cars and other worldly material but to use it as a vehicle to preach the gospel.

He said: “I used to hire a private jet from South Africa to come and pick me up for a shopping spree in Johannesburg. I had money but just like the prodigal son, my riotous spending meant I was eating with pigs. That was foolish, now that I am back in my father’s house. I use my money to spread the Advent message and to build churches. Not to buy worldly things, which are worthless at the end of the day.

He said: “I used to hire a private jet from South Africa to come and pick me up for a shopping spree in Johannesburg. 

“Whatever we do in life we must put God first. I thank God for knocking sense into my head before it was too late.”

Asked to reveal the event that led him to repent, Delma refused to divulge his life altering experience, but said: “I repented when I found myself in a situation that made me realise that God does exist.”

However, it is believed that one of the reasons why Delma sought God was an incident in which he escaped a kidnap and car-jacking attempt by a group of armed robbers in North End in 2002. He was also involved in a number of car accidents in which he believes that he was lucky to survive.

Delma added that God always had good plans for him that hinged on his repentance, revealing that one of the blessings he has received is his wife Abigail Lupepe who is a dentist.

“Some people are unfortunate that when they were wild, diseases such as AIDS and even death caught up with them. But God smiled on me even when I was still in the wilderness and he gave me a beautiful wife who I love dearly. A good wife comes from God and I encourage the youth to wait on the Lord and he will definitely send them the showers of blessings.”

He reiterated that God is always “looking for an excuse to do good things for us but we have to come back home for that to happen. If you want an education or employment it all belongs to you the secret is to accept God. And after accepting God you have to give him his tithe and offering. People think it’s a form of extortion but in reality it is a way of recognising that everything you get is from God. And if you are faithful with that he will look after you, at the end of the day tithe is only 10 percent of your earnings.”

Delma also took time to urge the youth to respect their parents and elders, unlike the prodigal son who disrespected his father by asking for his share of the inheritance before his father’s, because “failure to respect parents is a sign that you do not respect God.”

Lupepe is famous for his role in turning the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League (PSL) into a semi-professional league. He introduced incentives for Amazulu Football Club players such as monthly salaries, medical aid, bonuses, training and camping allowances at a time when most clubs just paid winning allowances or salaries based on the number of games played per month.

Mthuli Ncube Chief Economist and Vice President of the African Development Bank

Mthuli, Ncube

                                                                                Professor Mthuli Ncube is the Chief Economist and Vice President of the African Development Bank, and holds a PhD in Mathematical Finance from Cambridge University, UK, on “Pricing Options under Stochastic Volatility”.  As Chief Economist, he oversees the Economics Complex, which is focused on the process of knowledge management within the bank and with its partners, and general economic strategic direction of the bank. In this regard, he looks after the Development Research Division, Statistics Division and African Development Institute, all of which are headed by Directors who report to him. That is, knowledge generation, knowledge acquisition, knowledge dissemination, and knowledge sharing, and capacity-building. As a Vice President, he is a member of the senior management of the Bank and contributes to its general strategic direction.

Before joining the Bank, he held the post of Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Johannesburg, South Africa, and before that was Dean and Professor of Finance at Wits Business School.  He led Wits Business School to a point where it was rated at 45 globally by the UK Financial Times in 2007.He has extensive experience as an Investment Banker, and was founding Chairman of Barbican and Selwyn Capital, which are involved investment banking.

Prof Ncube was also a regulator, and served as a Board member of the South African Financial Services Board (FSB), which regulates non-bank financial institutions in South Africa.

He is also Chairman of the Board of the African Economic Research Consortium, a network that develops economists in Africa, with which he has been associated for the last 20 years.

He is also Chairman of the Global Agenda Council on “Poverty and Economic Development” (World Economic Forum).

Prof Ncube is also a Governor of the African Capacity Building Foundation.

Previously, Professor Ncube worked for INVESTEC Asset Management as a Portfolio Manager and Head of Asset Allocation Strategy.  He also managed Investec’s Global Managed Fund, an offshore umbrella-fund registered in Ireland.  The fund had five other funds under it with investments in US, Japanese and European Equities, bonds and money markets.

Prior to joining the corporate sector, Professor Ncube was a Lecturer in Finance at the London School of Economics, UK, where he taught and supervised undergraduate and graduate students in finance and investments, and general theory of asset pricing.

He has published widely in the area of finance and economics, and some of his papers have won awards.  Some of the papers have been published in international journals such as the Journal of Econometrics, Journal of Banking and Finance, Mathematical Finance, Applied Financial Economics, Journal of African Economies, among others.  He has also published 4 books, namely: Mathematical Finance; South African Dictionary of Finance; Financial Systems and Monetary Policy in Africa; and Development Dynamics: Theories and Lessons from Zimbabwe; and a book manuscript on Finance and investments in South Africa.

His interests are in golf, reading and painting. He is married to an Engineer with whom they have 4 children.

Meddy Matshalaga Three Gem Gold Mines

Mining has been identified as one the key drivers of the local economy and Meddy Matshalaga is one of the few women operating a mine. 


She is the executive director of Three Gem Gold Mines in Zvishavane and chairs the Licensed Gold Buyers’ Association of Zimbabwe. 


ND: Can you give us a brief background of your company?


MM: Three Gem Gold Mines started at the end of 2007. We started serious operations in 2008 when things were really tough during the Zimbabwe dollar era. The mine started with what you call custom milling (stamp mill) for small-scale miners in Zvishavane where we provided a service to small-scale miners who brought their ore for grinding to produce gold. We began to do mining at very low scale and, later, we received a buying and selling licence. 


The company was established with $40 000 savings from my Development International consultancy business. I used the money for construction, bought transformers and a stamp mill.


ND: What motivated you to get into this line of business?


MM: I think two things happened. Initially, it was because I just wanted to have another business in case I got tired of working formally, but the real thing that really motivated me was some time back, I think in 2007, the Ministry of Gender and Woman’s Affairs hosted a field day in Zvishavane where I participated. 


It was at that time the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe used to do a lot of mining in Zvishavane and worked with rural women, pounding and processing gold. So it was mainly woman labour. I loved seeing women participating, but I felt it was too much work for them on one hand, but on the other, I realised women could contribute to the economy in a positive way.


ND: How have you managed to get to where you are today?


MM: It has been a long story, I guess. I don’t know whether I can call myself somebody who has made it. But I think it is through hard work by somebody who had a passion for the sector. The sector is very active once you are in it, so you want to continue. However, I think the most important thing is to put some professionalism into the work. 


ND: What is your opinion on the mining industry and general performance of the gold sector?


MM: I would say the mining sector is one of the key drivers of the economy. Gold is also one of the major minerals contributing to the export market and I am sure the gold sector will surpass the target of 13 tonnes anticipated by year-end.


We have had a favourable environment given Europe is struggling and prefers keeping its wealth in gold. This has encouraged a lot of production in the sector, but again I think the sector is not really being fully maximised. There is need for more resources and technological know-how on gold extraction.


ND: Given that there are very few women in mining, what are some of the challenges you face?


MM: The mining sector is heavily dominated by men even in extraction itself. Women need to be educated even in little things such as how to register a mine and how to handle labour issues. At times women get cheated to get some of their work done. There are, however, a number of women working hard and doing well.


ND: What advice can you give to other entrepreneurs who are in your line of business?


MM: The secret to running a business successfully for a long period of time is by running it professionally.
Such issues as employees and banking are critical for a successful business.


The most important thing is to comply with the regulations of the country. If you are playing football understand what is wrong and what is right. Comply with the laws, labour law and Zimra (obligations). Just comply from A to Z. When you comply you don’t need to worry. You get visitors at your premises.
Let us toe the line in all respects 


ND: What do you think should be done to improve mining in Zimbabwe?


MM: Small-scale producers need support so that they can maximise their potential. They need access to compressors and education on how to grow their businesses.


If all miners could comply and contribute the relevant taxation they owe, then the economy will do very well. Look next door in Botswana, they are doing well as a country as their revenues are being channelled towards development through the construction of schools, roads and hospitals, among other infrastructure.


ND: What are your future plans?


MM: My future plan is to add value to the Licensed Gold Buyers Association of Zimbabwe (LGBAZ). We want to make it efficient and grow the association to enable it to provide services to its members so they can run their businesses professionally.


The growth of good practices by members will enable a significant contribution to the fiscus. We recently made an application for LGBAZ members to be allowed to export their gold so they could enjoy benefits of economic liberalisation.


(c) Newsday

Tawanda Nyambirai TN Holdings

A person must be motivated by the joy to provide good services and be inspired by the importance and relevance of their job or business towards the betterment of their country. This is the same kind of desire that drove one of the movers and shakers in the corporate world to become one of the top achievers in the banking and corporate finance sector. It brings to mind the words of the Nigerian Christ Embassy Pastor Chris Oyakhilome who said: "You may be a trader, cleaner, teacher, civil servant or a chief executive, no matter the job or business you do, let your goal be to render service. And that way your greatness will be inevitable."

At 40, Mr Tawanda Nyambirai the TN Holdings boss has managed to achieve what most could have considered impossible for someone who is a lawyer by profession. How can a lawyer make a breakthrough in the complex banking sector? His secret is that of treating his customers as kings as he makes it his business to know what customers need and then reaches out to meet those needs.

He is the major shareholder in TN Holdings through his investment vehicle Nyambirai Associated Trusts. TN Holdings is the holding company for TN Financial Services (Pvt) Ltd, TN Asset Management (Pvt.) Ltd, TN Microfinance and TN Harlequin- a furniture division.

To meet people's needs, Mr Nyambirai saw it fit to bring the banks to the people and not the other way round. That is the reason why he places most of his banks in clothing shops, furniture and grocery outlets like Greatermans and Meikles to make it more convenient for the customers. The down-to-earth father of eight would rather describe himself as " a sinner saved by grace" as he is human and makes mistakes like any one of us. "I usually don't like talking about my personal life as there is a temptation to talk about the good and leave out the bad. "Mostly when I say I am a Christian people tend to build an image of me and half the time they forget that I am also human like anyone else who makes mistakes." he said. A staunch Warren Buffet fan, the TN Holdings Limited chief executive is inspired by the billionaire's investment principles.

He however, does not believe in having a mentor because he says it tends to elevate an individual and model someone as an example that is worth being followed. "I believe in genuine friendship and fellowship from whom I can learn and who can learn from me as well. Friends do not speak down on me but they are there to encourage me," he said. The Apostolic Faith Mission follower is motivated by the desire to change lives and assist the less privileged and make others avoid the pitfalls he fell into. Mr Nyambirai is motivated by love and focuses more on what he wants tomorrow to be like.

"I'm not building a business for today but I am modeling it in what I want to see it being tomorrow. As other banks are retrenching I am actually going against the grain as I am recruiting people because I know that the future of banking needs one to have skilled staff," he said.

Challenges are not meant to destroy you, they are meant to groom you and it takes self-confidence, discipline and focus to be an achiever, said the staunch Dynamos supporter.

Mr Nyambirai said that during the hyperinflation era many Zimbabweans lived like there was no tomorrow but on their part they remained conservative and knew that there was a tomorrow that required them to work hard. The lawyer-cum-businessman who was born in the farming community of Lalapanzi did his primary and secondary education in Chiungura in Gutu and A-Levels at Chibi High School. He went on to attain a law degree at the University of Zimbabwe in 1992 and he also holds a certificate in International Conflict Resolution studies from the University of Uppsala in Sweden. Mr Nyambirai comes from a broken family of 16 and is happily married to Ketty Nyambirai.

Mr Nyambirai described 2010 as a "good and blessed" year for him and his organisation as he was named the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce Harare regional and national businessman of the year award. His company was also awarded the best commercial exhibitioner at the Harare Agricultural Show. In December last year, Mr Nyambirai won an international prize in Geneva, Switzerland, known as the Platinum Technology award for quality and best trade name.

He also got a "special award" from Tsitsi and Strive Masiyiwa for being an individual who was most supportive of the charitable activities they carry out. The successful businessman reflects with a lot of pride to the law practice that he built since it delivered value to his clients who still have fond memories of him.

Mr Nyambirai said he was particularly proud of his achievement as part of the legal team that successful led NMB Bank to dually list on the Zimbabwe and London Stock Exchanges.

He said that he managed to create a thriving bank because he had been patient for eight years since 2001 and put all his strength in building a bank that will not be short of capital.

"From humble beginnings in 2001 TN Financial Services offered advisory services and we used it as a platform to build capital to start a bank. "We preserved the capital and kept little in cash therefore suffered little losses during hyperinflation," he said. TN Bank was among some of the banks that satisfied Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe minimum capital requirements way before the deadline last year.

He added that in a few years his bank expected to have one of the largest branch networks in the country as they were expecting to have more than 32 branches and most of these will be in Econet and Meikles shops by June this year.

I'm no Masiyiwa front

TN Holdings founder and chief executive, Tawanda Nyambirai has insisted that he is “his own man”, dismissing speculation that he was a front for thenon- telecoms business interests of South Africa-based mogul, Strive Masiyiwa.

Nyambirai founded TN Financial Holdings in 2001 and engineered the group’s listing on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange in 2010 through the reverse take-over of furniture manufacturer and retailer, Tedco Limited.

In addition, Nyambirai also chairs the Zimbabwe operations of Masiyiwa’s Econet Wireless while the telecoms entrepreneur has also become a key shareholder in the fast-expanding TN Holdings.

However, while admitting that it would be an honour to be a “front” for Masiyiwa, Nyambirai insisted that this was not the case.

“If there is anybody I would love to front for it is Strive Masiyiwa … it would be an honour,” Nyambirai said in an interview.

“Masiyiwa (is) an honest, generous, kind and humble man. He declared that his first (Econet Wireless) dividend after profit would go to charity and when he realized it he did just that and I personally distributed the money and would manage it for him and give it to charity so I know he kept his word ... he has educated over 40 000 orphans in Zimbabwe.

 “So for people to say I am a front for him is a compliment and a privilege! But he is a shareholder and he is known and cited everywhere in the records as a shareholder at TN.

“People who do fronting deals do not do that. They are unknown in the background as the fronts play the role of owner. He would have been in the shadows.”

Nyambirai said Masiyiwa became a key shareholder in TN Holdings after the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) ruled that bank executives could not be controlling shareholders of institutions they are supposed to be running.

“When the RBZ said I should dilute my shareholding I asked myself who the best person to partner with would be and I thought ‘Strive!” Nyambirai said.

 “I was humbled and honoured when he had the confidence in me and my business to buy the shareholding. I am my own man and I have a shareholder in Strive whom I greatly admire!”

He also said TN Holdings was awaiting regulatory approval for the establishment of a cattle bank, a first for Zimbabwe. The proposed bank would allow farmers and individuals to use their stock as collateral when accessing credit.

“At the moment we are moving through the regulatory corridors,” he said.

“Steps are being taken, we have people all over the country talking to people, telling how they view it if we launch a cattle bank and the outcome is amazing.

“What is overwhelming is that it is not only rural people who are enthusiastic about the idea but also urban people.

“We have people living and working in the city who also have cattle in their rural homes as wealth and assets and they are very interested in the concept.”

Nyambirai said although significant progress had been made in improving operating conditions for business, the lack of liquidity remained a huge challenge.

“We operate in an environment and the major characteristic is illiquidity. We are operating in an illiquid market and whatever we do, we have to deal with that challenge,” he said.

“The way it affects us is there is more demand for credit than cash and very little cash is available. We have had to come up with strategies to deal with that problem and we seem to be winning.”

Lynn Mukonoweshuro Group CEO of King­dom Finan­cial Hold­ings

Lynn Mukonoweshuro is the Group CEO of King­dom Finan­cial Hold­ings Lim­ited (KFHL), as well as Chair­per­son of the Coun­cil of the Women’s Uni­ver­sity in Africa. She is one of Zimbabwe’s most impor­tant women, that when she agreed to meet with me, I was more than delighted.

On the day we were to have our inter­view, there was a time mixup on our cal­en­dars so that I ended up arriv­ing at her office at 7am, instead of the 9am she had on her cal­en­dar. So because she had to be some­where by 7.30am, we could not have the inter­view then, and she felt so really bad, moreso because I had come extremely early and now I had to go and then come back again. At 7am, Lynn looked like she had been in the office for hours, not that she seemed tired or any­thing — to the con­trary, she looked serene and com­fort­able. The way you and I would look like round 11am. So nat­u­rally, when our meet­ing did finally com­mence, my first ques­tion (some­what incred­u­lously) was:

 Q: What time do you wake up and how long is your work­ing day?

“{smil­ing} My mother always said that ‘you shall sleep an unin­ter­rupted sleep’, so don’t waste your time on earth sleep­ing’. I wake up between 2-4am. That’s because it’s the time I reserve for prayer, to usher in the day. I’m here at work by 6.30am and home by 8am. But I always make sure I’m home for lunch.”

Q: So you are CEO of King­dom and Chair­per­son of the Coun­cil of the Women’s Uni­ver­sity. What else do you do? And as CEO, what exactly do you do?

 “A lot of work. {laughs} I’m actu­ally a ser­vant in this whole organ­i­sa­tion, which has five sub­sidiaries and branches in Botswana and Malawi. I also work with a lot of orphan­ages, I do strate­gies for churches and I’m on a num­ber of boards.”

Q: In an inter­view you had in 2010 with the Stan­dard, you said “work­ing for King­dom is a call­ing”, why is that?

“Work as if you work for God and not for man. The company’s vision is grounded in that verse, and so I work as if I work for God and not for man, and pay­ment for me is a sec­ondary mat­ter. That’s why I see my work as a call­ing because I work for God.”

Q: I under­stand you are the first female CEO of King­dom since incep­tion. How does that feel?

“I don’t see gen­der when I look at peo­ple, I see human beings, so it’s not a really big deal for me, because if you go through life look­ing at every­thing from the point of view that says because I am a woman, then you will be in trou­ble. Besides, King­dom has always been gen­der sen­si­tive, we have a num­ber of women in to posi­tions.  {sim­il­ing} I think Nigel’s mom[Nigel Chanakira is the founder of KFHL] raised him well.

Q: Before you came to King­dom, you worked at IBM Com­put­ers and Coca-Cola, please tell me about your expe­ri­ence there?

 “I enjoyed my time work­ing at those two com­pa­nies. I’ve always believed that one must get a note­wor­thy exo­e­ri­ence whilst young. In order to do so, you join a brand because of their vision, and you grow with the com­pany. This is why I’ve worked at the com­pa­nies I’ve worked for before and now I’m here at King­dom and I enjoy work­ing here every step of the way and I’ve grown a lot since I’ve  come here.”

Q: I read that you are mar­ried and have three chil­dren, how do you jug­gle being a mom, wife and busi­ness woman?

 ”{instantly she becomes excited, stands up and shows me a pic­ture of her and her fam­ily on the wall, point­ing out the indi­vid­ual mem­bers} My eldest son is 24 — he’s just fin­ished uni­ver­sity, the 2nd is doing his A’s, and the 3rd wants to be a doc­tor. She started her own soup kitchen with her friends when she was only in Grade six, now she’s in form two and she says to me one day when we had gone to a hos­pi­tal ‘mommy I want my own hos­pi­tal just like this one, and the poor won’t have to pay’, and i think to myself oh my. My fam­ily and I have so much fun and my hus­band is ever so sup­port­ive. I have a diary I keep where every­one knows they have  to log on the day they want my time, if you don’t log on when you want me, then you can’t com­plain when I can’t make it to wher­ever you want me. We do work some­times as a fam­ily, do char­ity work together for instance, I am so blessed to have a fam­ily like mine.” {you can tell she is very proud of her fam­ily as she says this  }

Q: Grow­ing up, did you ever envi­sion your­self being where you are today?

 ”{laughs} I always thought I’d be a pilot, or if I didn’t end up a pilot I wanted to end up in the Sci­ences field. When I got to the U.Z how­ever, most Sci­ences lec­tur­ers had gone to the U.K, and so I was forced to get into Business.”

Q: Speak­ing of, where did you grow up, and which schools did you go to?

 “I grew up here in Harare and I went to Nharirire Pri­mary School in Mbare” [with eyes wide open I’m like “really” because Mbare is one of the old­est Zim­bab­wean high den­sity sub­urbs, and it is shock­ing that she went to school there because look­ing at her you could never guess] {she ofcourse, laughs, because she knows what I’m think­ing} 

Q: And your fam­ily, tell me about them

 “My fam­ily was very small and close, two boys and myself, I am the last, the mid­dle boy passed on. I was never spoilt, regard­less of the fact that I was the last born, you see, moms then were dif­fer­ernt from moms now. And my father would treat my broth­ers and I equally, there was no gen­der differentiation.”

Q: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

“{smiles} I cre­ate spare time. I enjoy inte­rior decor and cook­ing, I love exper­i­ment­ing. So it’s very nor­mal to find me revamp­ing a room, it’s not as often as I’d like though. I’m also a very spir­i­tual per­son and a great believer, so I cre­ate time just for me and my Creator.”

Q: So I want to know your favourite things: what’s your favourite food?

 “Peanut but­ter in anything.”

Q: Favourite country?

 “Switzer­land — it’s so clean, it gives you hope that peo­ple some­where can be clean.”

Q: Favourite music?

 “I love Hill­song, and I’m into clas­sic music so my other fav is Bethoven.

Q: To close our inter­view what would you want to say to those young women who look upto you, admire you and aspire to be like you?

 “Be very focused, know what you want to do, let noth­ing come between what you want to do. Take it step at a time. But always be responsible.”

(c) TRUE AFRICAN WOMAN MAGAZINE 

Grace Muradzikwa Zimbabwe busineswoman

Grace Muradzikwa is the managing director of short-term insurer Nicoz  Diamond.

Muradzikwa is recognised as the first female managing director to win two IoDZ director of the year awards since their inception in 2004. 

The Nicoz Diamond boss is credited with spearheading the formation of vision, mission and values of the short-term insurance group. Nicoz Diamond is listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange. Grace Muradzikwa also created the vision, mission and value statements for the regional operations in Malawi, Zambia, Angola and Uganda where Nicoz Diamond has management contracts. The Nicoz Diamond managing director gives general direction and has overall responsibility over strategy formulation for Nicoz Diamond and regional operations that the company manages. Her strategy of country diversification has helped the company cope with the challenging environment of 2008 to 2009.

Grace Muradzikwa, with over 24 years’ experience in the insurance sector, is committed to and passionate about her work, which has seen her receive numerous personal awards as well as on behalf of Nicoz Diamond. The awards were for first black female to list and head a publicly traded company in Zimbabwe, 1996 Insurance Personality of the Year, 2004 Zimbabwe Manager of the Year runner up, 2005 quoted companies Best Insurance Counter and Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce 2005 Businesswoman of The Year.

Muradzikwa sits on the boards of Nicoz Diamond, Africa University, United General Insurance (Uganda), Consolidated Farming Investments as deputy chairperson, Diamond General Insurance (Zambia), Nissan Clover Leaf Panel Beaters and Justice for Children. She is a holder of Bachelor of Administration and Master in Business Administration degrees from the University of Zimbabwe. She is also a Fellow of the Insurance Institute of South Africa.

Sam Levy Zimbabwe Businessman

Sam Levy was born in Kwekwe on October 9, 1929.

There were a few simple things that made Sam Levy the extraordinary man that he was.

He was a complex man, but his principles were simple, and they translated into every aspect of his life, from family to business to friends.

He touched so many people's lives from all walks of life, and yet we all recognise the same things about Sam Levy. Sam Levy's Village in Borrowdale, Harare

Sam Levy was a very principled man, tough but fair. He had a very strong sense of right and wrong.

He was given the name "Kanyuchi" which is the Shona word for a honeybee: If you were good and fair, he gave you honey. If you were not honest or did wrong you faced getting stung.

He was a generous man. He gave without asking, and never asked for a thank you, or expected something in return. His reward and pleasure was to see those around him enjoy what he gave.

Sam Levy was a humble man. Despite his achievements in life, and the status and respect he earned as a successful businessman, he treated all people equally no matter their status in life, no matter the colour of their skin.

Whether a prominent business person, a Government official, the guy who cut the lawn or a stranger that he had never met before, he was always approachable, receptive and had time for you. He touched so many lives that way. He gave advice to anyone, and listened with patience and attentiveness. He had the ability to put himself in your shoes and see things clearly.

One thing Sam Levy was known for was his ability to see things that others didn't see. His insight and understanding were so vast that there was nothing he could not help you with. As long as you "put him in the picture" he was able to step into your shoes and "sort it out".

He was family oriented and his life revolved around his children. He loved passionately and deeply, and was very protective. No one could touch anyone he loved, and he made everybody know it.

Sam Levy's Village Borrowdale, Harare, Zimbabwe

In times of need, he was always the first to phone and always the first one to take action.

He reminded everyone he met: "Respect and honour your parents and don't fight with your brothers and sisters. Family is family and blood is thicker than water".

He was a good friend. No matter what he was doing, or how important it was, if he was needed, he made time. If there was a problem, he would help.

If they needed strength, he was supportive. If someone was nervous, he gave them courage. If someone was stumped, he gave them a strategy.

He was a man of his word. If he said he would do something, consider it done, no matter how large or small the task. He forgot nothing. If you told him anything, no matter how trivial, he never forgot. He amazed people by reminding them of something they did or said that would otherwise be long forgotten.

Sam was a very wise man. Not only because of his vast experience in life and business, but because he had the ability to sit back and evaluate things, break them down into simple elements, and be objective.

He was known to say, "If you have a problem, come to me", and he was always there as he said he would be.

The man was a doer. His motto was "Don't leave for tomorrow what you can do today". If something needed to be done, his attitude was "do it". If he wanted something done, he did it. It was that simple!

His tenacity was obvious in everything he did and he never gave up on anything or anyone. He was a very logical and practical man. He simplified the most complicated situations and made them easy to follow. If it could be done, it would be done, and it would be done right. He looked at obstacles as challenges, solved them and moved forward. He also knew when "enough is enough".

Sam was a very positive man. He "took the bull by the horns" and carried on. He was always optimistic and gave people hope. He made daunting situations approachable and was happy to lead through anything. No matter what happened, he always moved forward with a positive attitude, and it was infectious. He made all those around him feel safe and secure.

The businessman was a passionate man in everything he did. He loved every project, and he immersed himself into it and saw it through to fulfill it into the dream he wanted it to be. He loved deeply and fought fiercely. There was nothing he ever did that did not get everything right from his heart.

A visionary he was and this made him a pioneer for Zimbabwe. He spent a lot of time overseas looking for ideas and products to bring back to Zimbabwe.

The mogul can be credited with many astute initiatives, from creating supermarkets to better serve customers at cheaper prices, despite the resistance he got in doing so, to introducing a new breed of cattle to Zimbabwe, and creating a shopping centre which had something for everyone.

He always sought and appreciated new and clever ideas. He always said: "When I see a good idea, I take it and bring it back to Zimbabwe." His intention was always to let people here get a taste of what was only available overseas. He had so much pride in bringing new things to the country!

Most of all, he loved his country, his home. Everything he did in his life he did in the place he loved the most. Despite the challenges and the changing environments he persevered. When people were giving up, he invested more.

When things looked bleak, he kept building. He never gave up on the country or its people, and he made it known that he was here to stay.

He created a legacy in this country for the country. He made it very clear that he was a part of the team to carry this country forward, and he did so proudly and loudly.

It was called "Sam Levy's Village" for a reason. He wanted his legacy to be there for the people and he was proud to be a part of it, and wanted it to continue even after his death.

When he got sick, as soon as he was able to travel, he wanted to come home. He asked the doctors every week, "When can I go home to Zimbabwe?" and as soon as he was well enough to travel, he came home.

Zimbabwe inspired him, and was his anchor. Even when he was ill, he was always energised when he came home.

As he would always say when he was making a point or conclusion, "at the end of the day" he was a great man, an inspiration to us all.

We have a lot to learn in looking at his life, not for what he achieved, but for why he achieved. Simply, it was for his family, and his country. And he lived for both with passion, conviction, determination and love.

From the Levy family, we are proud to be his family. We will continue to have him live through us with everything he stood for. We as his family, and we as his country lost a pillar, but it's a pillar which will remind us everyday that he is still with us.

Thank you to a wonderful husband, father, brother and friend. We will miss you very much, but we will never forget you, and you will continue to live in our hearts forever.

Levy, the owner of the multi-billion-dollar Sam Levy’s Village in Borrowdale, among other business empires in the country, was born on October 9 1922 in Kwekwe and went to Prince Edward School.

In the 1960s, he was the founder and chairman of a large supermarket group, Macey’s Stores Limited, and by then he lived in Waterfalls. This saw him earning the nickname “Cut-price king”, when he started the supermarket business.

During that time, he also owned a fruit farm in Nyanga and a farm near Lake Chivero, where he was a pioneer breeder of beefmaster cattle. In September 1973, Levy bought Duly’s Angwa Street property from London County Properties for $1,5 million, which was reported to be the biggest property deal then.

The premise (now called Ximex Mall) was redesigned along American lines and it included a Macey’s discount store, butchery, bakery and other departments. Ximex Mall was bought by the National Social Security Authority about two years ago.

In 1975, Levy stood in the then Salisbury council elections and was elected councillor for Ward 8. During the same year, he introduced a new American cattle breed for the first time in Africa.

He once represented the then Rhodesia in three clay pigeon shooting internationals and won with national colours. In 1980, Levy won all the top prizes in the National Carcass competition during the four agricultural shows held at that time.

Ben Magara CEO Anglo Coal South Africa

Bennetor (Ben) Magara (44)
BSc (Engineering) (Honours), ADP 
EXECUTIVE HEAD: ENGINEERING AND PROJECTS

Ben was appointed executive head: engineering and projects on 16 November 2009. He is also a non-executive director of Anglo American South Africa since 2006 and is the former CEO of Anglo Coal South Africa. Ben has more than 20 years’ experience in the mining, energy and logistics industries. He is the former chairman of Richards Bay Coal Terminal and the Eskom 2008 Coal Working Group. He is on the board of trustees of the UNISA foundation. 

Anglo Coal's Zimbabwe-born Ben Magara (37) is known as "Mr Smarty". The handle is not a reference to his mental abilities but an acronym for the safety campaign he led at New Denmark colliery, where he was the first black minemanager in the Anglo Coal group. 


Magara did not invent "Smarty" (derived from Safety Must Always Relate To Yourself). The concept came from his predecessor. But he ran with the campaign so effectively that he became inextricably linked with it. 


New Denmark set a series of productivity and safety records within the Anglo Coal group and aspects of the campaign, with its associated mascots, are now being adopted at other Anglo Coal collieries. 


Safety is paramount, says Magara. "Nothing is so important that it cannot be done safely. If it cannot, then we don't want it." 


He adds that one of the additional satisfying benefits of coming top in the Anglo Coal safety league was that New Denmark got to throw a huge party for its workers. The live entertainment included Johnny Clegg and it was all paid for by the other collieries in the group. 


Magara was born near the Zimbabwean town of Masvingo into a family of nine children. He grew up in a rural environment and recalls how his schooling was frequently disrupted in the summer months because the school he attended was on the other side of a river which had no bridge. 


Despite this, Magara went on to complete a degree in mining engineering at theUniversity of Zimbabwe and joined Wankie Colliery, then still part of Anglo American Zimbabwe. 


After four years he was transferred to SA and flew into JohannesburgInternational on a day that is engraved in his memory: March 28 1994. That was the day the Shell House shootings took place. The scheduled introductory visit to Anglo head office in central Johannesburg was cancelled. Magara was whisked away to New Denmark, near Standerton, in southern Mpumalanga. 


Eleven years later, Magara lives in Johannesburg, where his main concern is the traffic congestion he finds horrendous after the tranquillity of Standerton. His solution is to avoid it by getting to work at around 5.30 am and going home after 6 pm. But despite these long hours, Magara insists he is not a workaholic. 


Arriving in the new SA, Magara found himself ideally placed for career development in a mining operation that wanted to change the way it did business. He flung himself into it. 


He got his mine manager's ticket within a year and learnt to speak Zulu within six months. He worked his way through the ranks at a number of Anglo Coal operations until he was appointed mine manager at New Denmark in 2002 at the age of 34. He was promoted to GM a year later. 


Asked how he set about running New Denmark, he replies: "When I was appointed to the job I asked my bosses - Anglo Coal chairman Tony Redman and Anglo Coal CEO John Wallington - what they wanted me to do there. Their reply was, Go and be Ben Magara'. Those were wonderful words. I will never forget them." 


What Magara wanted was for New Denmark to be a happy mine. "You cannot be happy if you are injuring people," he explains. "You cannot be happy if your product quality is not what the customers want and your production costs are too high. 


"I spent an hour every morning for the first two months just talking to staff and finding out what they wanted and what they were prepared to do. That was invaluable because through those interviews, I picked people I felt were important to the operation and who could influence others. From there we got buy-in from the entire workforce." 

Magara says his management style is to "get to the coal face" and find out what his workers and staff require to improve their performance. He believes management of people is what differentiates companies and operations.

"Today everybody can buy the same technology off the shelf," he says. "The difference lies in the people. My approach is to get to know the people and they will tell me what needs to be done."

Anglo Coal is SA's second-largest coal group and produced 51,7 Mt in the year to end-December 2003.

Breaking that total sales figure down shows that 31,3 Mt of coal were sold to Eskom to be burnt in the utility's power stations and 20,4 Mt were sold to tradecustomers; the great bulk of that was exported through the Richards Bay Coal Terminal.

In his new position, Magara is responsible for five of Anglo Coal's 10 operating collieries. Three of his mines - New Vaal, New Denmark and Kriel - are major suppliers of coal to Eskom power stations.

Magara says his new job is essentially to be the link between these mines and Anglo Coal head office. "My main role will be to facilitate the sharing of best practice and communication between head office and the mines. My secondary role will be to participate in the strategic direction of Anglo Coal SA."

In his spare time - he does have some, he jokes - Magara plays golf and is "fanatical" about Formula One Grand Prix racing.

His own choice of vehicle is practical: a 4x4 Pajero. Not only do Magara and his wife and son enjoy the outdoors - their favourite region is the Drakensberg - but the Pajero is ideal for negotiating the rural roads in Zimbabwe, when he visits his family about three times a year.

Shingi Mutasa

Shingai Mutasa or Shingi Mutasa owns TA Holdings and is the big brains behind the Joina Centre (one of the modern office buildings in Harare metropolitan area). TA Holdings is a diversified group listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange with a current net value of over US$100 million. 
"My vision is like a rock, it's unshakable. But today, the challenges we have are of a country lacking a vision," he said. 
A graduate of the University College London with a BSc (Econs) Hons degree in 1980, Mutasa returned to Zimbabwe after completing his studies and commenced upon a career in commodity trading and marketing through a family-owned company. He co-founded Venture Finance, an investment vehicle that bought into TA Holdings with the objective of turning it into a continental investment group. 

                                             

      JOINA CENTER   

      HARARE ZIMBABWE

"I started working with my father from 1980-1992 and that's when I learnt the power to empower. 
"He gave me the opportunity to make mistakes. We were traders, but we later became a continental trading company. 
"But my father told me to do things I am passionate with. I then later realised that I had no future in trading. After trying and failing, we managed to take control of TA Holdings in 1997. 

"We had acquired a group that was riddled with debt. Between 2001 and 2005, we managed to clean up TA's balance sheet."
Mutasa also spoke about the Joina Centre, which he refers to as the Joina City.
He said the building was born out of his conversation with one renowned architect, the now late Mr Vernon Mwamuka, while they were in New York.
"Joina City was not driven by money, but a vision and passion for the country," he said.
The multi-million 23-story building will be the largest, though not tallest high rise in Harare when finished. (The tallest is the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe building).
The Joina Centre's 23 floors include three levels of parking, four levels of retail section and 16 levels of office space. The construction of the levels of parking and retail sections are complete. 
The construction of the outside of the levels of office sections is complete with the contractor now working on the electrical and mechanical aspects of the building. 


Shingi Mutasa and son Mudiwa on a game drive in Botswana

The building has remained unfinished for 12 years owing to escalating costs of construction materials. 
However, a wealthy Saudi prince has invested in the project.
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, quietly sneaked into the country in 2005 and toured the Joina Centre, whose construction started in 1997.
The visit by the Saudi Arabian billionaire, brightened prospects for the completion of the state-of-the-art centre.
Commenting on the Prince's visit, Mutasa said it was significant for Zimbabwe in that the Saudi, who at one point was the second richest man after Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, had already promised to invest more funds in Africa.

"He wants to put a billion (United States) dollars into Africa and Zimbabwe is one of the countries he has invested in. The fact that he put more money into Joina Centre signifies his commitment to Zimbabwe and I believe it is up to us as Zimbabweans to decide whether men like that can be excited to invest in Zimbabwe," he said. 

Joina Center Harare Zimbabwe

The TA chairman said the long period taken to complete the project should be viewed in the context of the tough environment the construction industry was operating under.

"We need to appreciate the environment. It is not easy to build when inflation and theexchange rate have moved the way they have done. 

“We were working with an exchange rate of eight to one against the United States dollar when we started. There is no doubt that the exchange rate and inflation have dealt us a heavy blow.
Mutasa remains a humble man.

Shingi Mutasa is a very humble and he is a family man. Shingi lives in Harare but was born and grew up in the eastern boarder town of Mutare (Manicaland).

What advice can Mutasa give to aspiring businesspeople?

"My success hinges on four words, name, value, integrity and vision."
And his advice to other businesspeople in the country is that a company should be ethical in all its dealings. 

"Equip company boards with the right people. If you get a good board you will win and board members do not cost you much," he said.
Shingi Mutasa buys BP assets

One of Zimbabwe’s richest business tycoons Shingai Mutasa has won a bid to acquire BP & Shell Marketing Services (BPSMS)’s refined oil marketing assets in Zimbabwe, including depots and service stations, through FMI Zimbabwe, a wholly owned subsidiary of his London-listed investment company, Masawara plc. 

The Shell Petroleum Company trades under the BP franchise in Zimbabwe. 

Collectively, BPSM local assets include 73 retail sites, six country depots, four town depots and a lubricants plant, now dormant, among others.

The facilities are currently being rented by a number of indigenous oil dealers such as Redan Petroleum, Sakunda Energy and Comoil, which were also vying for the same assets in a counter-bid to South Africa-based Engen Petroleum and KenoilKobil, which lost the deal on indigenisation grounds.

BP Southern Africa CEO Sipho Maseko on Monday revealed the global energy company had in principle agreed to sell its assets to FMI Zimbabwe.

“With their experience and existing businesses in Zimbabwe, we believe that FMI Zimbabwe will be able to build on BPSMS’s good assets and grow the business further in line with their plans,” Maseko said.

Masawara in which Mutasa owns 63,4%, also confirmed the deal through a spokesperson.

“As a Zimbabwean company we look forward to growing this business and meeting the needs of all Zimbabweans,” the spokesperson said.

The deal is expected to easily pass the indigenisation test given that both Masawara and FMI Zimbabwe are locally-owned. 


Registered in Jersey, Masawara sold 29,9% to London-based Invesco plc in August and subsequently listed on AIM, raising approximately $25 million to financestrategic acquisitions in the country.

In spite of the dilution, Mutasa is confident to grow his empire by leaps and bounds through Masawara, where he sits as a non-executive director.

He is also the executive chairman of TA Holdings, a rapidly expanding investment company in which Masawara owns 30%. 

Masawara also owns 40% of Joina City, the largest retail and commercial property in Harare.