“My father worked as a technician for the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation in Bulawayo and I took a keen interest in reading his books and watching him inquisitively as he worked with gadgets,” he told The Zimbabwean recently.
“When I later realised that I could also do some of the things he did, I began to buy some components from which I assembled transistor radios, digital displays and other gadgets, but I did that only during my spare time, while I relied on something different for a living.” About 24 years later, not only has that hobby become his means of survival in a world of shrinking employment – it has become his brightly-lit path to prosperity.
“I became more interested in doing it professionally when I lost interest in doing general work at companies. I enrolled with a Bulawayo-based college, where I did intermediate electronics and passed with flying colours.”
When economic problems persisted in his home country, the Harare-born Kasawara (43) took his tools and headed down South in 2009, seeking a better life. But he did not find it in any of the companies where he sought general work.
“I decided to do what I knew best – repairing and building electrical gadgets and that has been my livelihood since then,” he said. “I had problems getting the start-up capital, so I had to do piece jobs here and there to raise that. I rented a small shop in Hillbrow.”
E and E Electronics now serves the local community and also does work for some big electrical shops, restaurants and companies on sub-contracts.
Kasawara’s secret to success is simple: “Never take any of your qualities for granted because you never know what life has in store in future. I personally made a good choice by studying electronics at an early age, otherwise I would be one of those popping from one underpaying job to another in a futile attempt to make a living, or I could be living from hand-to-mouth.
“To succeed in business, one has to be able to draw the line between the company director and the company itself and make sure that personal problems are not solved at the expense of the company. What makes most people fail in business is that they end up dipping into company coffers to feed their financial misdemeanours, yet the company is in itself a legal person whose resources, including financial ones, must be respected. The director is a company employee. He should take a salary from the company and not personalise its finances.”
Kasawara hopes to return home soon and open a branch of his company.
“I used to get many clients there, but the economy could not sustain the gains that kept depleting all the time. That was the only reason I later decided to leave. I know that if I return, I could still re-establish myself.
“The first port of call, which is already past the planning stage, is for me to open a shop that will supply electronic components back home, before I move the repairing branch. I know there is always a need for these, so the market is always big.”
He draws his inspiration from his father, the role model who taught him electronics and put him on the right path he has trudged without notable hindrances.
Post published in: News