Ex-teacher sets up booming business enterprise…says committed to realise Vision 2030

PURSUING a professional career is not always the route to success in life. Often creativity and exploring entrepreneurship opportunities outside of one’s career could make someone realise a huge business potential.

This best describes the experience of Mr Mthokozisi Sibanda, one of Bulawayo’s successful businessmen, a proud owner of Quickies Supermarkets and Mathokozisa Milling Company.

From humble beginnings, Mr Sibanda (50) says his journey to success started with the establishment of a single grinding mill in the early 2000s, and since then he has never looked back.

Mthokozisi Sibanda with some of his staff members

After quitting his formal job as a secondary school teacher, Mr Sibanda says he acquired a grinding meal and rented some space at Kelvin Industrial Site in Bulawayo where he began his business expedition in the year 2000.

Using proceeds from the small enterprise he managed to buy the second grinding mill, which he established on rented premises at Emakhandeni suburb.

“The business journey was not easy at first but worth pursuing. From renting space, we eventually got our own place at Old Pumula where we set up a big milling plant and formalised our operations and registered with the Grain Marketing Board in 2003,” said Mr Sibanda.

“From there we then started packaging our mealie-meal brand, which we named ‘Mathokozisa Super Refined. We had five workers at the time.
“As the business grew, we then thought of using the waste from the milling plant for poultry production. It was then that we got a three-acre plot at Kensington in 2005 and ventured full-time into the poultry business.”

Mr Sibanda has over the years grown his business empire, which now includes Quickies Supermarkets, and is now an active member among the city’s business community leaders.

“I am now one of the executive members of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) Association and vice-chairperson for the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) southern region chapter,” he said.

“I have also won many awards including the 2018 Best SME Retailer of the Year accolade nationally under Quickies Supermarket in Old Pumula. In 2019 I was the first runner-up and in 2021 I was voted among 200 businesspersons of the year under CZR.

“We experienced some challenges in marketing our products, especially mealie-meal, and then decided to have some retail shops where we will sell our products from the plot such as eggs, chickens both dressed and live.

“As the business grew, we came to Kelvin North and we applied for land from the council to have a retail shop. In 2017 we built a shop at Old Pumula Business Centre, which we branded ‘Quicks Pumula Supermarket and Butchery’ and used it to market our products.”

Realising that the Pumula supermarket could not absorb all the products, Mr Sibanda said this inspired them to expand business by establishing additional branches.

“In 2022 we opened Quickies Meats and Groceries at Kelvin and also opened Quickies Family Leisure Centre, also at Kelvin this year,” said Mr Sibanda.

Running a successful business always comes with challenges, he said, and noted in particular, the problem of raising adequate capital to expand the business as well as operating capital so as to compete with established players. With no choice, Mr Sibanda said he tried engaging banks who charged higher interest but feared failure to pay back the money.

Mthokozisi Sibanda (third from right) with his milling staff

“We had to persevere and make sure the little profits we made were spared for the next project. We also rebranded our packaging starting with the white bag and blue Mathokozisa and people began to appreciate our product,” he said.

“The other challenges were that some retailers who sold on our behalf did not pay back or defaulted payments. That is why we built retail shops so that our bulk mealie-meal is sold at our space.”

Mr Sibanda paid tribute to the Government for coming up with business-supportive policies and containing inflationary pressures.
“Our drive is to employ workers considering gender, distance, and communities that serve us who can walk to work although there are some skilled workers who come from other places.

“We have 40 workers combined, four at the plot, 10 at Quickies Pumula, 10 at Quickies Kelvin, and 16 are employed at the milling plant,” he said.
“We also came up with a file for corporate social responsibility where we help the community as we receive requests related to funerals where we provide mealie-meal, assisting our security forces, and social clubs.

“We also support Vision 2030 and our staff level shows we are on the right path. We are grateful for the business policies and participation in different associations.”

Quickies Supermarkets manager, Mr Misheck Mphakathi, said he has worked with Mr Sibanda since 2011 as a sales representative before being promoted to the present position.

“Our mealie-meal’s brand name is Mathokozisa and super-delight but Mathokozisa is the backborn of the department and is doing well. We make sure that we guarantee our customers good quality produce and always with proper weights and we use organic maize,” he said.

Mrs Siphephile Sibanda, a secretary at the company said she was grateful for the support the business was getting from the community, especially in Pumula and Mpopoma suburbs.-chroicle