The name Mwandayi is well known in Honde Valley including most parts of the Eastern Highlands.
It is a business name from the late Mr Mwandayi who passed on in 1992 after a long business journey that began in 1948.
I welcomed an engagement from the family during the Easter Period back in April. An engagement to restructure the business and maintain the legacy of the founder.
More about Mr Mwandayi
Despite being orphaned at an early age, he rose despite the odds to set up an expansive business.
His seed capital: Hawking beads and bangles in exchange for agricultural produce in Nyanga (Chikomba Area) and selling in Rusape.
He used funds raised to set up a business in Hauna amongst people who had relocated from Tsonzo area in Mutasa.
The business expanded into a GMB Approved Buyer, Wholesale, Supermarket, Butchery and Bakery.
Business Model
His main business was buying grain from farmers and selling to GMB.
Transport farmers with their grain to his shops. Weigh the produce and pay them.
In return farmers would buy from his supermarket and later get free transport back home!
So most of the money in Honde Valley circulated in his hands. He bought 7 brand new trucks to ferry farmers and their grain and had Tax Authorities sending whites to do his tax computations!
Pause and calculate the present values of 7 brand new trucks to appreciate his phenomenal achievements.
Despite little education background, he endured all children had access to education including female children.
After passing on the children took over as he had groomed them well but most of them had married and living far away from the business.
Then 2008 happened…And adversely affected the business.
So 30 years after the demise of the founder we assembled at Mwandayis business and brainstormed on maintaining the legacy.
We took stock of what had happened and putting in place mechanisms for new strategy implementation.
I enjoyed the business ventures for vazukuru, the future Mwandayis.
The DNA has to continue for centuries!
To you entrepreneurs for legacy purposes, invest in commercial properties irrespective of location.
The money capital will inevitably evaporate but infrastructure will remain and becomes a starting point for future generations!
If you go visit the Mwandayis, there is ongoing progress with a new surgery being put in place. New lessees are coming up too.
The Girl Child? On inheritance planning don’t leave out the Girl Child. Yes they maybe married and start own families elsewhere but the Girl Child is passionate about legacy. Great checks and balances too!
So deeply ingrained in the success and maintenance of the legacy of Mr Mwandayi.
A business hero you are unlikely to see recorded in business books, but on ZBIN we will capture his story in our 2023 Book.
