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DISTRIBUTED FREE TO OVER 1000 YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

J.K. MPATSA AM I AN EFFECTIVE ENTREPRENEUR?

MAGAZINE

KHALIDWE WEAR

INSURANCE INSTITUTE OF MALAWI ANNUAL DINNER

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THE BEAUTY

BRAINS ISSUE

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The Team Editor: Thoko Tembo

Photography: Simbo Photography (0999916122,0991183252) Layout: Yamikani Matupa, Thoko Tembo Contributors: Staff reporter, JK Mpatsa, Arvind Devalia.

Contents IIM Annual Dinner Page 6 JK Mpatsa Am I an effective Entrepreneur? Page 8 Improve all your relationships Page 11 Khalidwe Wear Page 12 Neemah Charles Page 14

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Letter from the editor Welcome to the first edition of OB magazine. OB stands for Our Business. The “OB” name comes from a realisation that it is “Our Business” as Malawians to help promote and develop our country. The aim of this magazine is to share success stories with the hope that they inspire others. It is our belief that when we inspire one another, and take care of each other, Malawi will in turn, take care of itself. In order to encourage this, OB Magazine is distributed free of charge and with your help, it always will be. The only thing that we ask is that it be shared with others.

In this issue, we feature a speech by Jimmy Koreia Mpatsa. The speech was delivered at the Young Entrepreneurs Empowerment Forum late last year. When we received the speech, it was clear that no interview could ever capture Jimmy’s life as well as the speech does. The speech in itself gives an insight into the life of a businessman.

The speech has inspired the team here at OB and we believe that you will be equally inspired. . On the cover is Yamikani Maganga a broadcaster from Blantyre. To us Yami’s look represents modern afro/Malawian beauty and as such, she is the inspiration behind this issue.

Last but not least may I take this opportunity to thank our sponsors and advertisers.

Without you this would not have been possible. Here at OB we believe in maintaining a small but effective team. This reduces our running costs and in turn reduces the price you pay for advertising. This helps us keep our promise to you: reach more people for less.

(For feedback, advertising, general enquiries or if you would like to write for us please email: thokot8@gmail.com or call 265 (0) 991183252)

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REACH YOUR TARGET MARKET FOR LESS

or your money back

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CALL: +265(0)99 11 83 252 EMAIL: thokot8@gmail.com

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INSURANCE INSTITUTE OF MALAWI ANNUAL DINNER IN PICTURES

SPONSORED BY IIM

The Insurance Institute of Malawi (IIM) is the arm of the insurance industry that deals with education and training. Its main objective is to promote professionalism. The Institute administers examinations on behalf of the Chartered Insurance Institute of London and the Insurance Institute of South Africa.

On the 16th of February, the Insurance Institute of Malawi (IIM) held its annual dinner and dance at the prestigious Sunbird Mount Soche Hotel in Blantyre. During the function the new president, Taonga Manda was sworn in replacing Elias Chipungu. The glamorous event was graced by Thom Mpinganjira CEO of FDH bank as the guest of honor. In his speech Thom predicted that there would be tough times ahead in the insurance sector however, those that are ready to adapt to changes will prevail. IIM awarded best qualifying students in the certificate, diploma and advanced diploma in insurance examinations. A raffle draw was conducted during the event and several lucky couples won bed and breakfast at a Sunbird hotel of their choice. The night was spiced up by performances from Lucious Banda and Wendy Harawa followed by a disco.

Top: The master of ceremony Eric Chapola.

Top middle and right: A cross section of the invited guests.

Left: Mazaza Marketing manager at Smile Life Above Middle: Wesley Mataka MD of Rhino insurance brokers with his wife.

Above right: Banda Assistant GM Claims at Nico with his wife.

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1. Bywell Chiwoni seating with Collen Sibande and Grant Mwenechane from Real Insurance.

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Raheema Pilani council member takes a photo opportunity.

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The guest of honor Thom Mpinganjira addressing the gathering 5

The guest of honor later received a gift.

6 Chimwemwe The chairman of the organizing committee addressing the gathering 7

Mphatso Kamnzingeni conducting a raffle draw 8

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Guests from Nico.

Edith Jiya from old Mutual receiving a best qualifying student award 9 Mphatso with Lucious Banda the entertainment for the night. []

Left: A parting smile from one of the diners.

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AM I AN EFFECTIVE ENTREPRENEUR?

JIMMY KOREIA MPATSA The lessons which led to my success....

If I am nervous, then put it down to a phobia I have, which is called “Fear of the Accountant”. This fear dates back to my early years when my grandmother warned me that “ when you grow up and want to succeed in business, avoid accountants.

The first accountant comes and promises to maintain your books, then, he invites his friend to audit the same books.

Whether the books are showing a profit or not, he invites yet another accountant as a consultant, to advise how to reinvest the surplus if the outcome is positive, or how to restructure the company if it is ailing. But that’s not the end of the story, when they have finished you through their hefty fees, they invite yet another accountant called the Liquidator, to provide the “coup de grace” in simple English, finish you off. The only service they don’t provide is that of the undertaker, they let someone else clear the mess after you have committed suicide from your failed business. Let me start by sharing with you my personal background, as it obviously has a relevance to what I am today, the genesis, development and current status of my businesses. I will then finish off with the most important part, which is the lessons I have learned from my experiences. I call this the most important part because it is the only one that is relevant to this magazine and where you may pick up some tips that may be useful in your own endeavours. I am a descendant of the Malekebu and Mpatsa clans. I was born to a single parent in a family of three boys and two girls. My maternal grandmother was Ruth Malekebu, a sister to well known Dr Daniel Malekebu of the PIM church in Chiradzulu and my maternal grandfather was Mr. Lawrence Isaac Mpatsa of Ntcheu. I am a product of Soche Hill Secondary School, but was not lucky enough to get a place at any of the University Colleges. Nothing to do with the famous Quota system but in our year, there was a clash of two classes fighting

for the same university places, as the country was changing from GCE of London to Malawi School certificate (MSCE). Thus many students who would have made it to University were left out, and I prefer to cheat myself that I was one of the victims. I later privately studied Advanced Level Economics, English literature and Law, but did not sit for any exams. To me, the knowledge was much more important than the piece of paper called a certificate or a degree, a belief I was to regret later as I went about seeking employment. My first job was with Import & Export as a Buying clerk. I left two years later for Press Agencies Ltd. However, I returned to Import & Export two years later after being invited back by my previous boss. Three years later my services with Import & Export were terminated for reasons I don’t know up to now and was jobless for around seven months, during which I survived on writing short stories for magazines such as “Star” of Malawi, “Parade” of Zimbabwe and “Readers Digest”. I briefly worked for Blantyre Print as an Advertising Representative and a year later joined Sales Services Ltd (later renamed Tambala Food Products Ltd). I was with this company for ten years and rose through the ranks from Sales Clerk at the time of joining to Deputy General Manager. During my time with Sales Services Ltd, I was thoroughly trained in the tyre industry through attachments to Goodyear tyre plants in South Africa and Europe.However, my services were, once again terminated for inexplicable reasons in 1989. I was a year later employed by PG Industries Ltd as a Deputy General Manager. However, I was very unhappy with my job and resigned two years later to concentrate on operating my company. I ventured into formal business around 18 years ago but prior to that time I was carrying out informal business. During my employment with Sales Services Ltd, one of my responsibilities was to seek an export market for some of the company’s products. This meant a lot of external

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travelling a t a time when forex was in short supply. The shortage of forex meant that there was also a shortage of many imported products in the country. I therefore used my travel allowances to import those goods that were in short supply and made abnormal profits. By the time my services with Tambala Food products were terminated in 1989, I had invested in two houses in Namiwawa and had set up a small trading company.

Goodyear international were reluctant to lose the investment they had made in me, through training at their various plants all over the world. They therefore offered me the option to either become their Export Manager for the whole SADC region, based in any SADC country, or to become a Distributor of their less known brand of tyre called Kelly. The job offer was very tempting as I would have been one of the most highly paid individuals in Malawi, but by that time I had been in senior management for some time, developed the Goodyear brand from nothing to one of the leading tyre brands in the country, suffered two dismissals from employment, and could no longer feel secure in employment due to the two sackings I had experienced. I therefore rejected the job offer and opted to get the Kelly tyre agency and concentrate on developing my small company, a decision I was to regret in the short term, as it was fraught with endless problems. The problems ranged from lack of working capital, reluctance of customers to accept a new product, lack of access to capital (loans) and lack of support from friends, amongst others. In an effort to resolve the major problem of working capital, I sold one of the two properties I owned and used the proceeds to enhance the company’s working capital. I was soon, joined by my sister in law Lonnie Deleza, who claimed she was between jobs as she had just resigned from her good job at Admarc.

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Today, almost 18 years later, she still hasn’t found another job and is still with me. The two of us operated from the third floor of Development house where we were sharing an office with a friend.

I leave it to your imagination how one runs a tyre trading company from a third floor using a saloon car for deliveries!!! Lonnie and I took turns to deliver our customer’s orders. Over the years, both the company and the two initial employees i.e. Lonnie and I have grown in stature. I have become an astute investor and I guess that’s the reason I receive regular invitations such as this one, not only in Malawi, but in different parts of the world. Lonnie is now a Chartered Accountant and remains my number two but with more responsibilities than I, in the daily operations of our companies.

Despite my protestations, she also believes she has developed more brains than her boss and I take every opportunity to remind her that God only provides you with brains at birth, and no matter what you do later in life, its absorption capacity remains constant.

Our Portfolio has grown and we now have Mpatsa Trust which is

in my bed when I am in town). To this day, even though I am a very moderate drinker, it is not uncommon to meet me in public places in the wee hours of the morning. Another important factor in the family is TRUST. Your partner’s trust is all important if you are to excel, because not all your customers and potential customers will be of your gender, unless you are a woman who is operating a hair dressing saloon. Even this is now endangered with the emergence of the likes of Aunt Tiwos in Malawi. Your spouse must trust you so much that when she hears you were in the company of a prostitute, her first thought should be “He must be contemplating establishing a brothel!” Thirdly, it is extremely difficult to succeed in an industry that you have no knowledge of. I ventured into business through a sector that I had been employed in for over 10 years and therefore had very good knowledge of. To this day, I only invest in those industries that I am familiar with. Admittedly, there are times that I have ventured into unfamiliar territory, but at such times, I ensure that I gather as much information as possible on the sector, so that I am not completely dependent on others for vital information. A good example is our recent venture into the hospitality industry through Mpatsa Lodges Ltd. We were approached

“I only invest in those industries that I am familiar with.” the proprietor of all assets, Mpatsa Holdings Ltd which is the investment arm, Mpatsa Lodges Ltd, Mpatsa Car Hire, Armando Ramos Ltd, Rathdrum Farm and other companies where we have a substantial shareholding such as KRK Distributors Ltd, Corporate Graphics Ltd and Malawi Pharmacies Ltd. What I have just outlined is history and my personal achievements. Let me now turn to the part which is most relevant to this forum and may have a direct relevance to you, which is “What are the lessons I have learned from my experiences and how does one become an effective entrepreneur?” It is said there are some fundamental characteristics, that one has to possess, in order to be a successful entrepreneur such as, Risk taking, Leadership, Optimism and Honesty, amongst others. But allow me to rewrite the book and share with you my own view. The tools that have helped me in my success are many but the following are what stand out: It may not have been apparent at the outset, but in time I realised that I could not have achieved anything without the intervention of my God. I noted that as success bred success, what helped me keep my feet on the ground was my strong religious beliefs. In addition, when the going was tough I always leaned back and sought comfort from Him. Success without strong beliefs is also useless. When you reach a position where you can afford anything your heart wishes, be it the latest Mercedes, the best house on your street or a first class air ticket to anywhere in the world, you are at a point where everything seems so useless. You then start agreeing with the philosopher of Ecclesiastes 1 in the bible, who says it is all vanity. At this point in your life, it is your beliefs that will help you maintain your sanity and forge ahead. I cannot count the number of times when I have said to myself “What was it all for?” And felt like giving up as I have found the success to be meaningless. At those times, I turn to my bible and are comforted by the words that God placed us on this earth for a purpose and that our success should be utilised to improve the well being of others. Secondly, I doubt if I could have achieved much without a good wife and a supportive family. If you want to venture into business, but have a wife who expects you to write an essay on where you have been, and account for every moment of your day, then don’t even start. Stay with her, remain somebody’s slave through employment and be happy to remain an average success but never to reach your maximum potential. Real business is not conducted between 8am and 5pm but after 6pm. A substantial portion of the 25 years of my marriage has been spent outside my home (but I have always slept

by an entrepreneur who had run out of funds to complete a hotel project in Salima and the banks were foreclosing. He offered us the semi‐completed hotel at a fraction of its value. I studied the industry and learned of the huge potential for growth and, instead of being greedy and taking over the whole project, we offered the promoter a shareholding in the venture. In addition and in recognition that it was him who had the vision we offered him the opportunity to operate and grow the business. In the end a win‐win situation was created and the venture is one of the most successful investments we have ever made, in that its return on investment is one of our best. Our total investment is represented by only three months turnover! This notwithstanding, it is still best to stick to an industry that one is familiar with, most especially at the outset. In the example I have given, one of the reasons we were able to take up the offer was that we could afford to risk the little investment that was required, as we have a huge reservoir. A budding entrepreneur is unlikely to be in the same position. A good example of how lack of knowledge can negatively affect a business is our experience in the agriculture sector. After a brief study of the sector, we decided to grow Soya at our farm. Soya was at the time fetching an average K120 per kilo. However, we did not conduct a full study of the product and did not keep abreast of developments in the sector. We were therefore not aware that there was a very limited market for the product in Malawi, or that the bulk of it was being exported. We were also not aware that Government had at that time placed a restriction on the export of Soya. The result of these developments was that the price of soya, which was K120 per kilo at the time we were planting, fell to K40 per kilo by the time we were harvesting. In addition, the market for soya had become nonexistent. It was a similar story with Seed maize. We signed a contract to grow seed maize for a seed company who committed to purchase it at US $600.00 per ton. According to our calculations, we were poised to earn very huge profits from the crop. What we didn’t know was that the entire crop would not be taken as seed maize. When all was done, the crop only yielded about 47% seed maize with the rest being rejected as commercial maize which could only be sold at around US $ 260 per ton. Fourthly, financial prudence, this, encompasses a lot of things from how resources are invested and utilised to how costs are maintained at most reasonable levels. It also includes the separation of the individual from the business. In our case, the contribution of this to our success is immeasurable.

This is the reason you will still find my name on our wage sheet, you will find us paying for our holiday at Mpatsa Lodge, you will find my daughter Lesandra paying Mpatsa Tyre company for tyres for her car and Mpatsa Tyre company paying Mpatsa Trust rental for the premises it is trading from. There is no such thing as “it is ours and it must be free.’’ Fifth, one cannot be an entrepreneur without being a risk taker. The mere mention of entrepreneurship is synonymous with risk taking. If you don’t enjoy taking risks then stay in

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employment because the business world is fraught with risk and dangers that are often not foreseen. In my case, I took a big risk at the very outset by opting to venture into business than playing it safe and accepting a very attractive offer of employment. Since that time, I have become accustomed to taking risks and I can safely say, I have won more than I have lost, and that’s why I am still standing here today. My number two Lonnie also took a big risk by leaving a very attractive senior position in Admarc and joining me to establish this little company called Koreia Trading company. The gamble paid off and today she is a proud owner of a multimillion Kwacha house and shares in all our companies. As someone aptly put it “Who dares wins”. Another risky venture I can share with you is our recent acquisition of Armando Ramos Limited. For those of you who were too young to remember, once upon a time there was a construction company in Malawi called Armando Ramos Ltd. A few years ago, the shareholders relocated to Portugal and other parts of Europe. The Company ceased operations in Malawi, save for letting out the properties it held. In time a decision was made to disinvest in Malawi and in 2007, the whole property portfolio was placed on sale for MK200 million. We expressed interest, not that we had K200 million, but the shareholders kept shifting their positions. One minute they want to sell, the next minute they don’t. One minute two shareholders want to sell but the other three want to retain the investment, and the next minute it is the reverse. Eventually, early last year, I suspect the global economic downturn and the loss of property values in Europe had a lot to do with it, a miracle occurred and all the five shareholders were willing to sell, but the value of the portfolio had been raised to MK350 million. Obviously we didn’t have MK 350 million but we were very keen to acquire the property. We had long winded debates about the offer and I took in many representations from my fellow directors about why we should or should not accept the offer. But all along, my mind was already made up and whatever the arguments, I was not going to pass up this opportunity that I had been negotiating for over two years. To cut a long story short, we borrowed the whole MK350 million (don’t ask me how because some of my bankers are here) and took over the company. If we sold the entire portfolio today, we could realise somewhere in the region of K700 million!

Thus by this simple risk, we increased our net worth by a whopping MK350 million. In my early age, I was told that all businessmen are crooks and liars. Nothing could be further from the truth as I discovered that you have to be extremely honest and possess unquestionable integrity to succeed in the business world. For a business to be successful, you rely on customers who buy your goods and services. One of the tenents of a good business/customer relationship is trust. The customer must trust and believe you and your product or service. One major reason for business failures is the unreliability of a supplier which results in customers deserting. In my personal life and in our companies, we have one motto which is “Protect our good name.” I often say to people my name is worth much more than any amount of money. It is for this reason that despite being in business for almost twenty years, you will not recall seeing any bad publicity relating to any of our companies. This is not by chance but it is through adhering to a strict code of conduct that has also been drilled into our staff. We have lost a lot of business because the buyers wanted kick backs. I learned early in life that wealth not earned is not sustainable.

Unfortunately here in Malawi we have a lot of living examples of businessmen who failed to sustain their wealth because it was acquired dubiously that I can take all evening to cite them. And more examples are in the making! Armed with this high level of honesty, you can imagine how depressed I was in 1994 when one of your members, yes a very long standing member of SOCAM, remarked within earshot of my office colleague when I was playing football at Chiwembe ground, that I had become rich because I stole from my previous employers! I am proud to report that this member is now one of our loyal customers and one of our bankers. I am not sure, but I think his perception of me may have changed over the years. I have also benefited greatly from this tag of being honest and reliable. One of the latest in a chain of many benefits is a recent acquisition of shares in a company with a very high potential for growth, without parting with a single tambala. An Investor came to Malawi and entered the advertising sector through taking over an existing advertising

“I have.... learned to value the input of others..” company called Corporate Graphics Ltd. However, the investor wanted to partner an honest and reliable Malawian whose involvement would promote a positive image for the company. In his search, he learned that by far his best target should be MPATSA. We were thus offered a substantial shareholding in the company at a price which will be settled by dividends that will be earned from the very same company within a period of two years. Whoever coined the adage “Honesty is a gateway to poverty” is the biggest liar that ever lived. It goes without saying that to be a successful business person you need to be intelligent and possess leadership qualities. It is difficult to succeed by chance as your luck will soon run out. It is equally difficult to succeed if you are not able to lead others, because you cannot operate a successful business alone. I am under no illusion otherwise but believe, no, no, no, not only believe but know that I am an extremely intelligent person, and have very strong leadership qualities.

Need I say it, I have found my high level of intellect and my very strong leadership qualities very invaluable in entrepreneurship. To the extent that in 2004, at the height of both my intelligence and leadership skills, I toyed with the idea of using these to lead this country and replicate my successes in business at national level. Unfortunately, only 78,000 Malawians believed me while the other 1 million plus didn’t. Which group was right? We will never know, will we?

I have also learned to value the input of others. It is said “No man has the monopoly of wisdom.’’ How true. In my case, in Lonnie I have had an advisor on my side all along. My advice to other entrepreneurs would be if you have a “yes man” for an advisor, you have a recipe for disaster, because they will always tell you what your ear wants to hear and this will not help much. In my case, we developed a team, I concentrate on investments and Lonnie is responsible for the organisation’s operations and finances. I cannot count the number of times our opinions differ. These debates sometimes develop into full arguments and we go days without talking to each other on personal matters. We disagree about everything there is to disagree about but at the end of the day, we remain resolute in the belief that it is all for the good of our organisation and arrive at a decision that is in the best interest of the company. Just to share with you a recent debacle, I lent my car to someone to be part of a bridal convoy and the following Monday I was asked to explain why I did so without getting permission from the company. My protestations that it was a car assigned to me and I could do what I wished with it fell on deaf ears. It was pointed out that the car was allocated to me but did not belong to me, it was the company’s property and I shouldn’t use it for any other purpose without permission from the company.

What I have shared with you are but just a few of the tools that have helped us to reach where we are but there are many others. I have not shared with you the element of discipline whereby I divorce my wife every morning when we enter the office and remarry her at 5 o’clock when we knock off, I have not shared with you the many hours we spend on planning in the realisation that “Failing to plan is planning to fail” I have not shared with you the strict code of compliance we observe to ensure that we enjoy a good name with all institutions that are relevant to our businesses. Let me conclude by saying that there is nothing special about Jimmy Koreia‐Mpatsa. The only difference between him and most Malawians is that where he sees an opportunity, others only see the risk, where he sees Gold others see the mud that is covering it. But at the end of the day he is just like anybody else. He has his successes and his failures, he has his fears and he has his good times. There are many potential Jimmy Koreia‐Mpatsas in Malawi, all that is needed is dedication, hard work, seeking out opportunities and, above all, exploiting those opportunities to the fullest. Let me hasten to add that I did not set out to become a wealthy person, rather I was running away from poverty and, because I felt very strongly for the cause, worked extremely hard and ended up with more wealth than I needed.

Am I an effective entrepreneur? Most definitely. My understanding of a successful person is one who leaves a place better than he/she found it. Well I started out with nothing, and if I were to leave today, I would leave behind an establishment with a net value of over MK2.0 billion. I can therefore safely claim to be an example of an effective entrepreneur....

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improve all your relationships in 11 easy steps.. with Arvind Devalia

you get on well with everyone in your life? Or do you have frequent arguments and misunderstandings? The state of our D o relationships with others directly affects our happiness. During the tough times, it is the people that we love and care about who get us through. Take responsibility for all your relationships. If someone’s behaviour is upsetting you, then you are responsible for this, as you are allowing the other person to continue such behaviour. Set boundaries with this person about their behaviour, letting them know it is not acceptable and why. You always have a choice in how the relationship should be even though this might be difficult to see, especially with your family or partner. You also have the choice of ending that relationship. People appreciate honesty and openness in relationships. So always be your word and tell it how it is for you. Speak the truth authentically and directly. Assess where improvement is needed in your relationships, and get committed to improving them. Here are some tips for doing just that:

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Show your appreciation in all areas of your life. Keep a count of the number of times you say “thank you” every day and keep increasing.

Say your thanks genuinely and whole heartedly in your relationships with your partner, colleagues, family and especially the strangers who do so much to make your life convenient and easy, such as shop assistants, the postman and the dustman.

Listen to other people. The greatest gift you can give people is your undivided attention. Practice listening skills and be completely present for that person. When people are talking to you, stop what you are doing, look straight at them and avoid distractions and interruptions. Your undivided attention tells the other person that you genuinely value them.

criticising others. Criticism can be so 6 Stop demoralising and destructive for adults and children alike. Become aware of how you speak to the people you care about, and recognise when you are being critical. Ask people around you to give you feedback about your habits of criticism and be big enough to change your ways.

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Be interested in other people. The emphasis here is on being

3 interested rather than “interesting”. People can tell when you are

Empathise with other people. Start to listen and understand the other person’s point of view. This will eliminate arguments and save you draining your energy. Anytime you are in a tricky situation, put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself how you would like to be treated in this situation.

Stop dumping on others. Don’t relieve your own stress by taking it out on someone close to you.

This doesn’t help either of you.

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genuinely interested in them or when you are just faking it. It is what you put into a relationship that ultimately determines the quality of that relationship.

Make other people feel important. By showing everyone that they count, you raise their self esteem. And you will raise your own too.

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Don’t take things personally. What anyone says or personal and merely a reflection of their own reality. So make your self immune to what others say and do.

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Focus on changing yourself, not other people.

Accept and realise that you can’t change anyone else. If a situation bothers you so much, then change yourself. It is all about you and what you bring to any relationship.

make assumptions about other people and 10Don’t situations. Communicate with others clearly so as to avoid misunderstandings and conflict.

Remember that everyone is doing the best they can with their current level of knowledge, awareness and understanding.

11 Stop gossiping and bitching about others. It will inevitably come back to you and affect your relationships. Learn to only say good things about others and your relationships will soon improve. To help you, just remember this quote from author Stephen R Covey: “Improve relationships with others by assuming that they can hear everything you say about them”.

About the Author: Arvind Devalia is a published author, blogger and life‐coach, based in London, UK. He is passionate about empowering people, contributing to the world through his work and enhancing excellence in individuals and in companies. Visit Arvind’s blog at http://www.ArvindDevalia.com/Blog and register for Arvind’s free e‐book “Make It Happen” and for his inspirational tips and ideas about how to make your life the best possible.

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Khalidwe Wear We are proud to be Malawian It makes economic sense to support each other...

What started out as any other musical journey for the Bantu Comrades ended up being the very foundation of the Malawian fashion Industry, bringing us the first ever‐Malawian clothing label.

Meeting the men behind Khalidwe wear at their shop in Blantyre it is difficult to imagine these quiet young men as musicians let alone fashion designers.

Their traditionally designed shop in Blantyre sits in an isolated corner of the city near the clock tower in front of the popular Warehouse club.

“We started designing clothes for our music videos so that our appearance would match the message we wanted to portray in our songs.” Explains Wandumi one of the founding members of Khalidwe wear.

“At first we wore Nigerian, Kenyan and west African clothes” he recalls.

“Then we realised that even though we were wearing African clothes our message was Malawian and we needed Malawian designs.” Soon enough they designed their own clothes and Malawi took notice, the rest as they say is history.

Made up of Wachituta Thombozi, Timvele Pangani, Wandumi Mwachisuli and Mbili Katopola, Khalidwe wear were Inspired by American Hip hop group Wu tang Clan and other American Musicians who have ventured into the fashion industry. Unlike the WU clothing line the boys decided to name their designs something a little more Malawian to go with their ideals. “We wanted to call it Bantu wear, however, we decided against this and named it Khalidwe wear instead.” Explains Wandumi.

Khalidwe wear has since branched into interior design and brags of its own modelling agency, providing models for fashion shows and corporate adverts.

Talking to these young men it is unmistakable that the driving force behind Khalidwe wear is African Pride.

“What started all this was the desire to portray Africa in a good way. Our message has always been about Africa.

That is why we branched out to fashion design because everyone talks about themselves in a good way so we thought why don’t we? Where is our pride in wearing foreign designer clothes?”

Wachituta explains. Interesting enough

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as we arrived at the shop earlier in the day the boys were tending to a mzungu who had brought a shirt for alteration. It seems the clothing line is gaining p o p u l a r i t y a m o n g fo re i g n e rs .

Nevertheless, Khalidwe Wear designs can also be seen at weddings and zinkhoswe. However, there is still a lot that needs to be done to make Khalidwe Wear a household name. Khalidwe wear’s hope is to change our buying habits. “It makes economic sense to support each other and buy Malawian

designs since in doing so we ensure that money circulates within the country.”

Explains Wachituta. All this seems like a tall order, however, Wandumi was quick to point out “we are encouraged by Mahatma Ghandi who started the revolution in India and stopped buying western clothes in order to promote his Indian Identity and culture. A boom in the fashion industry would provide employment and a much needed boost to cloth making in the country further supporting our cotton farmers”

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neemah charles MALAWI MY INSPIRATION Neemah Charles is the name behind Charmar 89 and Chab fashions.

Neemah’s first ever fashion show was held in 2012 and since then she has grown from strength to strength. Surprisingly, she always wanted to be a singer and a model but this dream was abandoned in favour of a low‐key role when she realised that she had inherited her mom’s talent of fashion and design.

It was perhaps owing to this that she decided to formulate the name Charmar89, a combination of her parent’s names Charles and Mary marinated with Neemah’s year of birth 89. Neemah likes to use super bright colours and colourful African prints and is best known for ladies outfits. Inspired by Giorgio Armani Neemah is comfortable with designing

clothes, hair art, facial function makeup and also hires out wedding dresses for that special occasion. As if that is not enough Neemah recently branched into interior design. “I understand design as a way through which I can express myself, show people how I want to live as well as make clothes that show where I come from. I do this through the use of African prints as I am inspired by my heritage” she says. Neemah’s mission is to change someone’s life. She hopes to work with young people, use more recycled products, crops and anything that reflects her roots. She does this in the hope that she can change the negative mindset towards models while making Malawi a better place.

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