By Albert Masaka IN a difficult economic environment that subjugated a married couple, one a teacher and the other a secretary, to a life of extreme poverty, the trailblazing journey of Kujie Fashions owners Geoffrey and Winnie Kujenga, will inspire many.
Knowing when to start
Having failed to make ends meet, the couple took charge of insuring their financial future by venturing into the vending business.
In an interview at their fourth branch in Harare’s CBD, Geoffrey, disclosed that their journey begun in 2004, with the wife selling curtains, after resigning from her underpaying secretarial job.
“He jokingly said the little pay that I was getting was going towards pulling socks and bus fare,” Winnie said.
At this point readers, I need to highlight what struck me about the Kujengas is their eagerness to share this great testimony.
As the strategist, the husband had identified that his wife was a good salesperson.
“He said if you stop working now, knowing you, in one week you will be doing something better,” added Winnie.
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She resigned and that same week, a neighbour sought Winnie’s company to assist her in buying curtains in town.
“I quickly grabbed the opportunity and assured her that I can supply the curtains. I then rushed to downtown alone in search of the material.
“Later, I bought it with my husband salary and paid a tailor and then supplied to my neighbour,” she said.
That neighbour referred more clients and from the business they managed to pay rent and groceries for four months.
The husband, whose salary was eroded by hyper-inflation, advised her to find out what those buying clothing material were using it for.
Winnie was to meet Patience, who was in the waterproofs business, who mentored her.
Big companies were the only ones supplying waterproofs but they were expensive to the Indian buyers, she said.
“Buy your material, then go to any Indian shop and buy one waterproof. Undo it and use that as a sample for pattern and start sawing,” was Patience’s valuable advice.
She went further by assisting Winnie to sell her first order of 20 waterproofs.
After the sale, they added Geoffrey’s salary to buy a small Singer sewing machine that month.
After transferring to Harare, his tailoring course at St Augustine School was to come in handy.
“We worked hard as business partners. During the day I was teaching and at night I was working on our business,” said Geoffrey.
“Whatever we do, it is out of agreement and we do it in an extra ordinary way.”
Trailblazers they are, armed with an unyielding positive attitude, they overcame their fair share of obstacles in their way.
“At times we would supply the Indians with over 200 a day. However, our suppliers would delay payments, if you put pressure on them, they would threaten to return back the goods.”
As a counter measure, Geoffrey advised Winnie to conduct a research on the business operations of shoe vendors at a nearby flea market.
They then started buying goods in South Africa. Geoffrey bought five pairs of shoes at Mupedzanhamo and put a mark-up.
“If we sold one pair, my husband would immediately rush back to buy two pairs. He would go there three or four times a day,” said Winnie
That’s how they begun the flea market business at Joina City and the parking space near Harare Central police station
“We also decided to book a permanent table at Savannah flea market, but our competitors were cagey with information on how they got their wares from South Africa,” she said.
“I went to SA and bought my goods at the closest shop that I came across after dropping off at Park Station.”
Life improved, however, Operation Murambatsvina destroyed everything. After the business closed, they used most of the capital.
They later went to sell shoes at Mupedzanhamo. It was here that she met her aunt who had a roaring business selling samoosas at Mbare Musika.
She ventured into that business selling samoosas at home and became popular as Mai Samoosa, a name her husband dislikes.
“I grew up in a poor family in Murewa, so I was not shy of vending. My husband grew up in a fairly good life but he was shy,” she said.
Savings
“He came with a plan to save half of the profit and we did that for five months and we still could afford to pay rent and school fees.”
Kujie Fashions
In 2007, they pooled their resources with 10 other people to operate as a shop at a flea market at Savannah.
They bought their first car, a Mazda 323 during that period and registered Kujie fashions as a company in 2009.
“We began operating at ZimPost Shopping Mall, up to now it’s our main branch,” Winnie said.
Resigning teaching
After realising that their manager at ZimPost mall was earning more than a teacher’s salary, the couple decided that Geoffrey must resign and manage the business instead.
That decision was to cause a lot of commotion in Geoffrey’s family. They are all employed in white collar jobs and could not understand that decision.
Even the headmaster, who had worked with Geoffrey’s father, thought this was a wrong turn.
Secret to success/teamwork
Their secret lies in unity. They discovered that in their marriage if they do not agree on anything, that venture will flop and came to the conclusion that God did not want them to do things separately.
That is how the business changed a teacher’s life.
“ I am not bragging, but I now own a house in the Grange. Our first born son Tapiwa is completing his university studies in Russia, the second Tinomuda is a Lower Sixth pupil at Wise Owl in Marondera and our little daughter Whitney is at the Grange doing Grade 7.
“How can I not be happy, how can I not praise God for what he has done in my life?”
Advice to peers
“Listen to your heart hear from God where he wants to send you. Don’t be pressurised by people. Imagine if I had listened to my relatives.”
Philanthropy
“We just discovered that gospel singers hardly find sponsorship, and decided to assist in dressing them.”
Besides that they would cook rice and beans and feed school kids at the Art Gallery and railways from 2016 to 2017.
Currently they are sponsoring vulnerable pupils at a school in Chegutu. They also donated files books and are now paying school fees for some.
