Thought Leader Interview with Mwape Chibwe

Featured Thought Leader Interview:

Breaking Down Barriers in a Male Dominated Water Sanitation Industry.

“Passionate about providing access to clean water and sanitation's to Zambians led me to Water Engineering”.

Mwape Chibwe Founder and Director Global Water Resources (Z) Ltd

Today's interview is with my dear friend Mwape Chibwe. She's based in Zambia. She is an Entrepreneur, she has built a business from ground up and she works in a predominantly male industry.  So today, I just want to find out a bit about where she is at, what she has gone through and her achievements. Amina Chitembo.

Amina: Can you please just introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background?

Mwape: My name is Mwape Chibwe, I live in Zambia, it is where I was born. I went into my tertiary education and did a Secretary course, which was not what I had intended to do, what I wanted to do was an Engineering career, but because of the result that I achieved at my A’levels, I was unable to go further to do my Engineering course. I ended up doing a Secretary course.

Amina: So, when did you leave this Secretarial job and started running your own business and what prompted you to do that?

Mwape: I was working in the same Company as a Secretary, for less than a year, within that year, my Boss saw some potential and promoted me to sales in the new branch, he opened. The line of product and services that we were doing, start to interest me and lead me to what I’m doing today. That’s where the desire came from. So, that has not only been a stepping stone, I believe it has led me to the business, career and the management aspect. It is basically the beginning of where I am today.

Amina: That leads us very nicely to my next question, can you just tell us a bit about very quickly what you're doing today, what the name of your company is and what it's all about.

Mwape: I am running a Water Engineering business. The name is Global Water Re courses Zambia Limited, it was registered in October 2000. I did not pursue to start running it until 2006 because I was still working, I had a formal job. So, before I left Chingola where I was running a branch, I had a meeting with someone running a council and I started asking him what it is to pursue business and what to do. So, He gave me the desire and all that it takes to run a company. It’s from there that I was getting the next job. I told myself, I wanted to run my own business after I’m 35.

Amina: That sounds to me like what most people need, not just one person that believes in you but also that one person that tells you “you can do it.” So, in terms of when you started, can you just tell us a bit about some of roadblocks that you faced both as a woman and starting out in an Engineering business.

Mwape: I finally made up my mind to quit my formal job in 2006 February. The first thing I did was to see some of my clientele in the industry, this is like Zambia voice, they manufacture beers and drinks. So, I went straight to the mines and made an appointment to see one of the Senior Engineers whom I knew the time I was still working and when I told him what I wanted to register for, He simply told me,

 “This is impossible, you’re a woman and secondly, it’s a male dominated kind of business which you won’t be able to last and you have no Engineering background. You’re not an Engineer, it will be very difficult for you to pursue this”, so he said, “open a Salon or start selling Stationary”.

So, I told him I have nothing else on mind to do with what you’re telling me. I’ve come here to register with Mopani in mind as a contractor and a supplier, specialized in water regulation and infrastructure development. 

Amina: What about capital? A lot of people say well, I’ll start a business when I have capital can you talk a bit about that? How much capital did you have?

I had no capital because I had not received my gratuity, because I did not put a notice. The only thing I had was my small car, just a small car to help me around. So, I had nothing, just my car and something to put in fuel and run probability for the first 3-months.

Amina: What is your greatest achievement to date?

Mwape: For me, my greatest achievement is the acknowledgement that I received from the industry, because this is the water and sanitation industry and I have managed to get recognition from the Technocrats and from business partners as well, they have recognized me and regard my contribution to this industry. 

Amina: How do you source your contracts? How easy or difficult is it to find your contracts?

Mwape: Any business is not easy to find, whether you really want to get a contract to supply just tomatoes, it's not easy. So, everything has difficulty in the way that you package your products or services and how well you can meet your clients demands because most of the time, they are not looking for this, they’re looking for a company that has credibility. It is not easy but I believe that I have never been disadvantaged based on my gender. I have always say, if I lose out on a contract that I have put in for, it was just not meant for me.

Amina: Have you ever had a lowest point in your business where you almost have given up?

I’ve had a couple of lowest moments, I think the first moment which was probably my learning process which was, I ventured into a line of my business in 2006 with a contract worth $1m for a company that has not been on for a long time. I was so excited but then came a lot of demand and I needed to get a lot of resources. So, I looked to the bank if they could finance 600,000 worth of goods but they could not do that. In the long run, we ended up losing that contract. Then I started to truly feel the words that Engineer Patrick had said, I think I’ve come into the wrong industry and that’s what I want to try and pack up just in the beginning and since that time, I have more challenges and this is not it, let me try something else now.

Amina: Would you say that it is important to do a business that you’re passionate about? As no matter, what happens you will keep going.

Mwape: Yes! What will always keep you going is that idea that you had envisioned for your business and this is what keeps you going. Being Passionate.

I’m passionate about the water industry because for me, it’s not just about making money, but It is also to contribute towards providing safe drinking water. And that will not come until proper technologies that are safe to the environment and safe to Human beings will be provided. So, for me, it’s being passionate about seeing this industry grow and seeing Zambia acquire the status of providing safe drinking water and sanitation to every Zambian.

Global Water Resources  (Z) Limited, plot 6662 ,Mberere Road, Olympia  Extension.

P.O Box 50116 Ridgeway, Lusaka, Zambia.