eBusiness Weekly
Enacy Mapakame
Starting a business for indigenous Zimbabweans was a tall order in the 1980s and early 1990s due to various reasons such as access to capital and other hurdles.
In some instances race was a factor.
Coupled with being a black woman in a male and white dominated industry was a double blow for numerous women who had business ideas, but could not see them come to fruition.
For Tatenda Gunda, it was perseverance and passion that drove her into establishing what is now one of the formidable hospitality and tourism companies in the resort town of Victoria Falls.
She identified vast opportunities in the tourism and hospitality industry and decided to start her own touring company that later grew to offer accommodation services.
Gunda used her experience gained while working as a German-speaking guide for the then United Touring Company (UTC) in the resort town of Victoria Falls.
She left the company in 1991 to start working on her own project.
Two years later Tatenda Safaris and Lodges was established, with only three second-hand vehicles purchased from a local auction.
Today, Tatenda Safaris, which does tours and car hires, boasts four 60-seater buses, three 30-seater buses, seven Toyota Prados, seven Toyota Elgrands, three Toyota Noahs and 10 Mercedes Benz and other smaller vehicles.
The company now has a staff compliment of 20 employees inclusive of drivers, chefs, waiters and cleaners at the lodge.
But it was not an easy road putting plan into action.
“I could not afford new vehicles, I didn’t have enough money for the business but managed to get three from ABC Auctions,” she said in an interview with Business Weekly recently.
“Back then, the industry was dominated by white people. Banks also did not have much confidence in black women because we did not have collateral, but I knew there were opportunities and decided to take on the challenge.
“The market responded well, I was the only black woman here in the industry and I had all the selling points,” she said.
In 1998, Gunda developed her house which she later turned into a lodge the following year offering bed-and-breakfast services.
The lodge started off with only five rooms, which have now since expanded to 30.
Tatenda Safaris also offers packages that include accommodation, tours in the resort town or into Zambia specifically for school children.
The accommodation facilities for school children can take up to 100 children at a time.
Gunda said being a woman should not be a deterring factor to entrepreneurship especially now that Government recognises the role and contribution of women in economic transformation.
Zimbabwe is one of the first countries in the third world that introduced a fully-fledged ministry for women. This year, Government launched the Zimbabwe Women’s Micro-finance Bank to assist women entrepreneur’s access loans at affordable rates and more relaxed loan requirements as compared to other financial institutions.
Lack of access to cheap funding and stringent requirements are some of the major challenges that thwart the growth of budding women entrepreneurs.
“Women do not need to look down on themselves, get out of that comfort zone and take up the challenge. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it and work hard to achieve it,” she said.
She said prospects were high for the tourism industry with the new dispensation and Government’s plans to achieve a middle-income economy by 2030. This, she said, will increase disposable incomes and see domestic tourism booming along with the anticipated increase in foreign tourist arrivals.
Already, business performance on a year to date basis has been above prior year levels.
Said Gunda: “This year we have recorded good business especially on the domestic market compared to last year, we have been busier because the Zimbabwe is now open for business indeed, as the President has always said.
“His approach to business is different and I think there is going to be growth in the economy and the tourism sector, with more investment inflows.
“Zimbabwe is already at an advantage, the majestic Victoria Falls is unique to us only, although we share it with Zambia, we still have the best view.”
The reforms to indigenisation laws is also expected to boost investor confidence and attract more foreign direct investment.
Gunda, however, said more needed to be done especially to address infrastructure challenges and availability of cash for ease of transacting by holiday makers.
