Young generation rising

Are entrepreneurs born or made? It’s an age-old question that will probably never get a simplistic response.

Over the centuries, personality traits of numerous entrepreneurs have been analysed and categorised, yet it’s as clear as mud.

But one thing is for sure, entrepreneurs do things differently.

“Back in college I wasn’t like my peers who went and bought cellphones, which were all-the-rage at the time. Instead I bought a home theatre system, approached the Warden at Midlands State University (MSU) and asked to use the college’s projector to start a movie business. We agreed for the college to get 40 percent of profits from the business, which would go towards disadvantaged students.”

And so began Rinos Mautsa’s entrepreneurial journey.

From monies generated from the theatre business Mr Mautsa ventured into condiments, purchasing his stock from Lyons and selling locally as well as exporting to Zambia. He bought his first car then, when he was still an MSU student at the time.

Recently recognised as one of Zimbabwe’s influential young leaders under 40 by the Institute of Corporate Directors Zimbabwe (ICDZ), Mr Mautsa is part of a young generation of rising African entrepreneurs. He runs business operations in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana, Zambia, South Africa and Namibia.

He has a track record of running profitable businesses from inception and growing them to be key players in their respective sectors.

Raised by a single mother, Mr Mautsa realised that one ought to be creative to sustain the day-to-day demands of life.

“My mother wanted me and my two siblings to be the best that we could be. But what really drove me into entrepreneurship was the need to complement her efforts,” he said.

“She basically taught me entrepreneurship because she could sell anything, and even as a single parent, she managed to send us all to boarding schools.”

Mr Mautsa says his foray into business at a young age was initially driven by the need to acquire money, but has evolved more into being about problem-solving.

“Back then I used to say to myself I should acquire a minimum of US$10 million, but as I have matured and learnt from the likes of Dr Strive Masiyiwa and Philip Mataranyika, I have become more focused on meeting vital needs.

“That is why I have diversified into areas such as property construction and clean energy,” he said.

After acquiring his first degree at MSU, Mr Mautsa relocated to South Africa in 2008 where he learnt about call centres. A year later, at age 24, he returned to Zimbabwe where he established the first call centre and software development company Africcs (Pvt) Ltd in Zimbabwe with presence in Zambia and customers across Southern Africa. In the same year, he went on to set up the Contact Centre Association of Zimbabwe (CCAZ), which is the sole association of customer services and call centres in Zimbabwe.

Presently, Mr Mautsa has diversified his business empire into construction, energy and real estate. In 2014 he established Chartered Institute of Customer Management (CICM), which is headquartered in South Africa with offices in over 10 countries to date.

Also in 2014, he went on to establish Energy Plus International, which is into LPG wholesaling. Through Picco Construction — his linchpin venture at the moment — he is working on multi-million dollar projects, including cluster home development, mainly targeting Zimbabweans in the Diaspora.

Beyond his businesses, Mr Mautsa is involved in youth developmental initiatives through World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers, Campus Community Foundation, which he co-founded. In 2016 he was also appointed as board member of the Zimbabwe Youth Council, a State-run institution looking after the welfare of young Zimbabweans.

He is a holder of a Marketing Management Degree from the MSU, Masters in Business Administration (MSU).

A devout Christian along with his family, Mr Mautsa is also an avid golfer.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams,” he says.

Like most entrepreneurs, Mr Mautsa had a short stint in the corporate world, an opportunity he took to learn about the mechanics of business. He worked for Telecel, TelOne and Zuva Petroleum as a junior manager before becoming a full time entrepreneur.

He has some advice for budding entrepreneurs:

“Starting a business in Africa is not easy especially with limited capital. I faced challenges in attracting and retaining the right talent especially with constrained cash flows. I ended up getting partners with the right skills to help me scale up in exchange of a stake in the business.

“This helped me set up other operations using the same model. I anticipate that five years from now, my construction company will be one of the largest in southern Africa with presence in five countries. I also anticipate to see Chartered Institute of Customer Management having spread its tentacles into Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

“The few years I have been in business, I have made a lot of mistakes some which were avoidable. The key lessons I have learnt are: venture into something you have passion and knowledge on; learn from those who have made it and find a mentor. It’s also important to network by joining leading institutions within your industry,” he said.

“Don’t be afraid of making mistakes and keep trying; don’t wait for capital, start something and capital will come because real wealth and capital in this era is not material things . . . it is the human mind, the human spirit, the human imagination, and our faith in the future and in God. Be grateful and don’t forget God when you get what you prayed for.

“Africa is immense with a lot of opportunity and I believe we will see many emerging global businesses. In the middle of purported chaos, there are opportunities at every corner. The time to invest in Africa is now. The future of Africa actually belongs to those who are investing now, to those young people who are setting something.”

True to form, Mr Mautsa’s businesses are playing a strategic role to develop the country and Africa at large through employment creation, mentorship and providing affordable housing.

His group has since established and funds the Campus Community Foundation (CCF), which is working on a number of projects to develop entrepreneurship spirit among college students in Africa through exchange programmes, business mentorship, business start-up challenges and other initiatives.

Mr Mautsa’ roles through his companies has earned him accolades in Zimbabwe and internationally, including: 2021 — Top 40 Young Influential leaders under 40 — Institute of Corporate Directors; 2020 — Top 20 Outstanding Man in Business (Megafest awards); 2020 — Young Corporate Director of the Year — Institute of Corporate Directors; 2019 Young Leader of the Year: Zimbabwe Institute of Management; 2017 Crans Montana Leader of the Future: Geneva, Switzerland; 2016 Leadership Coach of the year (International Coaching and Mentoring Organisation); 2016 Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellow — Oxford University and AFLI- UK; 2015 Leadership of the Year Award — Megafest Business Awards; JCI Top Young Person of the Year — 2015; 2014 Young Visionary Fellowship Award winner — Government of India; 2014 Young Manager of the year award — Zimbabwe Institute of Management; 2012 Young ICT Achiever Award — Ministry of ICT — Zimbabwe; and the 2011 Industry Champion Award — Global Association of Contact Centres — USA.