Social Entrepreneur Spotlight: Thokozani Chimasula

Thokozani was selected to be featured earlier this year, following her participation in the MUST DELab in March. We are so thrilled to announce that she has been successfully admitted into the DEStudio where we will work with her closely for one year to help her achieve her goals. Read onto learn more about her and her business!

1. What motivated you to start Tac-Maz investments?

While I worked in the development sector, I had an opportunity to interact with people from different backgrounds across Malawi. I met energetic young people who had nothing to do. Then I decided to open a tailoring and designing, hairdressing and fitness enterprise just to provide job opportunities to a few young people. As I kept interacting with people through and through, I realized that there was one bigger problem that affected a lot of people across the country. Food insecurity was everywhere. At that moment I thought if I could start farming, I would not only contribute to job creation to young people, but also contribute to the provision of adequate nutritious food to the larger population.

2. What are the biggest obstacles you have faced when you were launching your business?

Aspiring to be an entrepreneur is one thing; being an entrepreneur is a totally different thing. It was not easy for me to engage in this business. I had challenges in raising capital to start the business as my kind of business needed a good piece of land, and funds to start construction of animal houses. That meant that I had to save money from my salaries in my previous job so that I could start on a good note. Again, when I first started, I had no clear picture of where I would go with my business. I started because I wanted to respond to the emerging issues as I have stated. I did not have a proper business plan to guide me throughout my business implementation. The most worrying thing is that I received a lot of disapproval from many people including those that I regarded as friends. During my hassling times, rumors spread fast that I was struggling and at some point I thought I could as well give up but with the help of my husband and family moral support, I did not give up. I kept going. Though I am very far from getting there, I am pretty sure the future is promising.

I did not give up. I kept going. Though I am very far from getting there, I am pretty sure the future is promising.

3. How did participating in the Flame Tree Initiatives DeLab help you reach your goals?

Dr. Millett visiting Tac-Maz Investments

Apart from the proper planning that has improved overtime, improving business visibility is one thing that will remain a testimony to me. In the first place I thought I had to lie low as I haven’t really achieved anything big to celebrate at this level. Through DELab I learnt that visibility through social media and other channels provides a lot of opportunities especially when one is consistent with content update. I must say, doing it for the first time I felt like I was already counting my eggs before they hatched. Little did I know that by sharing updates to the wider public I was opening so many windows of opportunities for my enterprise. I was surprised to get a call from someone from Farmer to Farmer under Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture who was tipped by one of the DELab facilitators to contact me. That contact brought a great opportunity I will live to remember.

4. What achievements have you accomplished so far?

I have been privileged to be linked with Farmer to Farmer under Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture. Being a beneficiary of this programme, I was linked with Dr. Steve Millett from the United States of America who visited for 7 days to mentor me and to support my enterprise technically particularly in setting up horticulture systems and pest and disease control. I am proud to say I am one of the first (if not the first) to set up a hydroponic floating bed in Malawi which is under piloting now. Again, with Dr, Millett’s coming, we now have a drip irrigation system set up.

Within this period, I also introduced Tac-Maz Bounty, which is a mobile market that takes place on Tuesdays and Fridays. I supply a variety of vegetables, fruits and meat products to customers based on what they have ordered.

Within this period I have received visitors within Malawi and outside the country. I have received two women from USA and two men from USA and several others from Malawi. This motivates me big time.

I was awarded a seed grant of up to 1000 Euros for my tree nursery project. I was one of the few entrepreneurs to attend an AfriCube Investment Forum. I have been invited to attend the international SEED forum where I will represent the enterprise.

Generally, I have seen my enterprise grow to another level within this period.

My next goal is to develop other farm lands that we bought. Every year we grow just maize, beans and cassava on those plots seasonally. This time around we would like to do more horticulture based on what I have learnt from Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture through Dr. Millett

5. How many youth and women are you mentoring?

I am currently mentoring 4 young people in sustainable farming methods. I have been with them since June this year. I am also glad that I am reaching out to a group of 20 women farmers whom I have planned to visit every two weeks to provide them with technical support in horticulture and livestock production. These women farmers form part of the supply chain as they provide me with products that I do not have at that particular point in time. I am glad that I provide accessible markets to these amazing women. We have named this group “Amazing Women Growers- yes the AWG! Because we are simply a group of amazing women farmers.

6. What impact do you hope Tac-Maz will have on Malawi?

The dream is bigger and gradually impact is being made. The vision is to reach out to many young people and women (both farmers and resellers) and build a network of farmers that will be able to produce high quality products for export consistently. With more women and young people involved, I am assured of the achievement of sustainable development goals of zero hunger, descent work and creation of sustainable communities.

7. What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs with big dreams?

To all those dreamers, they should keep dreaming in beautiful colors. BUT, a dream in itself cannot achieve results. What will achieve results is starting. I urge them to rise up and start. Start start start without looking back. Write down the vision and work towards achieving it. And when we start, we should never expect to achieve big results soon, we should exercise patience while we work on achieving our dream. I am still dreaming even now, but I am dreaming while doing the work.