Then, there was no fuss about child labour, as every member of the family contributed. Now, Mtetwa has no regrets, as getting into that modest business honed his business skills.
He is now successfully running his UK Motor Exports Trading brand in the UK, buying, selling and exporting all kinds of cars to the British market and beyond. He has a solid clientele in Botswana, Mozambique, Malawi, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Singapore and Brazil.
“I am happy I have managed to set up one of the biggest companies in the car buying and selling industry. I am not doing this for myself only, but for the country as well as my achievements will demonstrate that Zimbabwe is managing to produce excellent entrepreneurs,” Mtetwa (39) told The Zimbabwean.
“I grew up on the family plot where we reared chickens and grew vegetables. I experimented a bit with my own gardening, using loads of manure on my vegetables and weeding and watering diligently. I used to sell my own vegetables which included okra and onions. When it came to farming, my family did it with great passion,” added Mtetwa.
After completing his Advanced Level studies, he was attached to Shabanie Mashava Mines in Zvishavane, in the Midlands province, where he received training in mining planning. In 1996 he obtained a mining qualification from the South African Chamber of Mines.
“When Mutumwa Mawere took over the reins at Shabanie Mine with his African Associated Mines, I started having second thoughts regarding my mining career. His arrival in 1997 coincided with depressed global prices of minerals such as asbestos and the limitations of the industry became clear to me,’’ he recalled.
A prominent figure in the Zimbabwean community in the UK, Mtetwa is one of the first immigrants to offer money transfer services in that country, from 2000 till 2005.
“I think the biggest achievement has been my ability to develop systems that are customer sensitive and it’s hugely important to be in tune with customers especially at these most economically challenging times,” he said, who prides himself on keeping costs to a minimum and undercutting all competitors.
Mtetwa urges that hard work and critical thinking is essential in the business world if you are to progress.
“You simply have to be innovative and think outside the box to remain viable in business. Demand patterns vary, tastes change, government regulations are constantly adjusted so you simply have to be in tune with all those factors and find your best response to the ever changing circumstances. You have to be committed and focused on what you want to achieve to overcome the difficulties otherwise you’d give up on day one of an idea as you’ll probably realise that there are more obstacles than you realised to achieve your dream,” says the former Milton High school student.
Post published in: News