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0 By Amanda-Ellen Jojo
SIZOLWENKOSI Mazolo’s insatiable appetite for success coupled with her bottomless faith has seen her rise in the cutthroat seductive industry of food production. Through her enterprise Ingcebethu Pvt Ltd, Sizolwenkosi identified a niche market in terms of healthy food production and distribution in the country’s reputable institutions.
Before venturing into entrepreneurhip, she was working for a company called LEC Biotec a company that supplies laboratory equipment and consumables. She started off as a part time sales rep and rose to Operations Officer for the group.
“While I’m proud of where I currently am, getting here wasn’t easy. I was faced with challenges of having doors shut in my face by potential clients and issues of being in a leadership position as a woman leading man. I’ve remained persistent and respectful but firm. Being persistent has helped me to finally get doors open and be able to penetrate different markets,” she told The Entrepreneurial Magazine.
Hats off to her mother for being Sizolwenkosi’s inspiration and her sister who is also her boss at LEC Biotec as well as for shattering the glass ceiling in the male dominated industry.
Ingcebethu Pvt Ltd was registered in 2019 but started fully functioning in 2021. It was started mainly because they noticed a gap in term of nutritious food in our big institutions. This was identified through going around in schools, hospitals and universities while working at LEC Biotec. And so out products include precooked porridge for schools and feeding schemes, fortified soya mince, fortified mahewu and many more.
“We supply bulk nutritious food stuffs and frozen fruits and vegetables. Some of our clients include the UZ, Sally Mugabe Hospital, Wedza Hospital, Marondera University, Belvedere Teacher College, Harare Institute of Technology and a number of supermarkets here in Zimbabwe.
“We offer food stuffs that minimise preparation and cooking time to give our customers convenience and health in one. Our frozen range is picked at its peak, washed, chopped and frozen instantly to preserve nutrients and flavor.,” she said.
The vision of Ingcebethu is to promote a healthier, sustainable and happy lifestyle in Zimbabwe and beyond. Sizolwenkosi is privileged to have a team of young and energetic people who rally behind the vision of her venture
MILESTONES
Ingcebethu has been to be able to penetrate various markets thus establishing strong networks.
The founder was recently featured on the Marketers Association of Zimbabwe platforms in the latest issue.
They have also been able to push the health narrative to people.
ADVICE TO WOMEN LOOKING TO START-UP: For women starting a business I’d just say don’t expect is to be easy. Don’t expect everyone to be receptive and nice and don’t expect to make millions in a week. We’re going to have to work, push and be patient. Let’s not be afraid to look like fools to propel our businesses higher. Let’s stop procrastinating, even when you don’t feel ready, start. You’ll modify along the way.
HER KEY TAKEAWAYS ON IWD 2022 CAMPAIGN THEME: To me this year’s woman’s months theme doesn’t only mean something but it speaks to how I’ve lived my life and how I’ve watched other women do the same. Even though we don’t have to, women have proved that we can be anything we want to be and achieve our goals even with the many hurdles that we face along the way.
BASED on the nominations done by its audience, The Top Ten Favorite Female Entrepreneurs 2022 is a compilation of dynamic women entrepreneurs who have succeeded in breaking bias in their different industrial sectors and this in line with the International Women’s Day campaign theme #BreakTheBias
