The Sunday News
A YOUNG budding entrepreneur from Bulawayo will raise the country’s flag high after becoming two times lucky. He was selected to undergo two different training programmes that will see him meet United States President Barack Obama and Nigerian billionaire, Mr Tony Elumelu.
Mr Nkosana Mazibisa, last year, as School Development Committee chairman for Mawaba Primary in Lobengula West also made history in the city by becoming a first after leading the construction of a double-storey lecture theatre block and multi-purpose swimming pool at a school in the western suburbs.
In the latest development, the 26-year-old was selected as part of 15 other Zimbabweans to join the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP) to be held in Nigeria. The 15 will join 1 000 other aspiring young entrepreneurs from all over Africa.
Launched in 2015, TEEP is the largest African philanthropic initiative devoted to entrepreneurship and represents a 10-year, $100 million commitment, to identify and empower 10 000 African entrepreneurs, create a million jobs and add $10 billion in revenues to Africa’s economy.
Over 45 000 entrepreneurs from 54 African countries applied, more than doubling the number of applications received in 2015.
Successful candidates represent diverse industries, led by agriculture, ICT and fashion. The highest numbers of applicants came from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and Cameroon. All five regions — North, East, South, Central and West Africa are represented.
The programme will start in April.
Mr Mazibisa will also be travelling to the United States on 17 June for the Mandela Washington Fellowship programme for six weeks where he will undergo massive entrepreneurship training at a top notch Ivy League College called Dartmouth College after which he will travel to the White House to meet President Obama.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders which begun in 2014, is the flagship programme of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) that empowers young people through academic coursework, leadership training, and networking.
In an interview with Sunday News, Mr Mazibisa said he considered himself lucky with the two opportunities that had been availed to him in a space of just a week.
“The two opportunities will increase my investor base including networking with other entrepreneurs who are shaping Africa.
“They will open trenches of venture capital for start-ups as I will be able to mingle with world renowned astute business leaders.
“The programmes will enhance my leadership skills, negation and business pitch in front of investors. My aim, is that since I will be there as a Bulawayo boy I will do my best to position Bulawayo as a hub of upcoming entrepreneurs who can score big in the Wall Street as nothing is impossible,” said Mr Mazibisa.
He said he would take the opportunity to further market his Mawaba project and ensure he gets possible investors as he aimed to raise the city’s profile.
“Also the opportunities will give me a chance to market the Mawaba project so that we have collective ownership of the project from the Diaspora.
“One thing which I have always emphasised is that for Zimbabwe to be part of the global value chain, we need to be interactive and share best practice with fellow entrepreneurs in the developed world hence with such opportunities I will do all my best to raise the country’s flag high,” he said.
