Friday, March 29, 2024

NYAMUKA ZAMBIA UNVEILS ZAMBIA’S MOST PROMISING ENTREPRENEURS

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Nyamuka Zambia 2016 winner Musanshi Louisa Chiluba
Nyamuka Zambia 2016 winner Musanshi Louisa Chiluba
Season 2 of the annual business plan competition has come to a close following the announcement of the top five winners.
After months of intense preparation, workshops, and a final gruelling televised examination in front of a panel of formidable business judges, Musanshi Louisa Chiluba, 36, was named winner of the Barclays-sponsored 2016 season of the Nyamuka Zambia business plan competition,  She triumphed out of a pool of 658 participants which sees the young entrepreneur walking away with K250,000 to turn her business dreams into reality.
Launched in March 2015 under the UKaid-funded Private Enterprise Programme Zambia (PEPZ), Nyamuka Zambia provides grant capital for deserving entrepreneurs with projects that create jobs and help foster entrepreneurial ecosystems.  In the end, a visibly surprised Musanshi was named the first-place winner for her plan to upscale her existing business, Soft Silver Investments, which specialises in growing Zambian button mushrooms.  This cash injection will enable her to more than double production from the current 1 tonne per month.  The judges were impressed by her plans to tap into the unmet demand in Zambia particularly for button mushrooms and to provide a viable alternative to South African imports.
nyamuka-zambia-2016-winner-musanshi-louisa-chiluba-receives-k250000-from-hon-margaret-mwanakatwe-and-barclays-managing-director-saviour-chibiya
Upon receipt of the grand prize, Musanshi expressed commitment to providing quality local produce to Zambian consumers, with the aim of growing the business by training local women in mushroom production.
On receiving the prize, Musanshi commented: “It is bitter-sweet to come to the end of the Nyamuka Zambia competition as I have learned so much and met so many inspiring people along the way.  But I am thrilled to have secured the top prize as this money will help me and the rest of the Soft Silver team to really grow our business for the future”.
The objective of the business plan competition is to transform Zambia’s entrepreneurial setting by inspiring go-getting businessmen and women to take their ideas to the next level – creating employment and driving the economy forward in the process.
 Nyamuka Zambia 2016 winner Musanshi Louisa Chiluba receives K250,000 from Hon. Margaret Mwanakatwe and Barclays managing director Saviour Chibiya.

Nyamuka Zambia 2016 winner Musanshi Louisa Chiluba receives K250,000 from Hon. Margaret Mwanakatwe and Barclays managing director Saviour Chibiya.

“During the course of the competition, Nyamuka Zambia provided all competitors with vital support and technical expertise through business planning workshops, coaching and mentoring sessions and many opportunities to network and connect with the wider world of business – so everyone is a winner, with the best talents being rewarded for their innovative business ideas and plans,” Namaya Mbikusita-Lewanika, Nyamuka Zambia Manager, explained.
Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Hon. Margaret Mwanakatwe, who was the guest of honour, expressed enthusiasm at Nyamuka Zambia’s contributions to developing a network of business heroes.
“With a growing population of entrepreneurs that will add value to expanding the economy, Nyamuka Zambia deserves the commendation of all of us for its work in supporting start-ups and innovative businesses,” she said.
Alongside Musanshi Chiluba on the winners’ podium were four other finalists who secured enhanced prizes from K125,000 to K200,000.  These were Bernard Kamweneshe, 56, who won the Zanaco Prize for Business Innovation for expansion of his education publishing business; Andrew Nguvu, 25, for a business to commercialise village chicken; Peter Nawa, 30, for a publishing service for authors; and Lungowe Situmbeko, 35, for her plan to develop moringa leaf powder products.  In addition, two prizes for promoting good nutrition sponsored by the SUN Business Network were won by Epini Shitambuli,for her plan for cage fish farming and Katongo Kabwe for his plan to produce oil from groundnuts.
Applications for the competition were launched on March 10 with 658 budding businessmen and women all hoping to win the K250,000 top prize, along with runner-up prizes and support to bring their concepts to life.

Winners of the 2016 Nyamuka Zambia business plan competition.
Winners of the 2016 Nyamuka Zambia business plan competition.

The Barclays-sponsored Nyamuka Zambia is one of four components under the Private Enterprise Programme Zambia (PEPZ), funded by the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID).
For more information, visit www.nyamukazambia.com

8 COMMENTS

  1. congratulations, let’s not despise small beginnings. It may look small but such is how we grow the economy. Not always waiting for me to appoint you

  2. Congrats. this is good news and not Lungu’s harassment of HH and GBM and undressing of Lesa Kamoma by his fellow drunkards, the PF police

  3. Whilst others are busy blogging and lamenting the more enterprising are moving on in life. Well-done i see one of my former students lived her dream well done….

  4. Congratulations to the winners! This is an encouraging event and is inspirational to all citizens to aim high. It’s nice to know Zambians will experience the joys of the button mushroom! Money for old rope!

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