Ana Belmonte, a Mozambican entrepreneur turning a passion for gardening into a business — Lionesses of Africa

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

Since very early in life, I learnt that I should prepare to be a good wife and mother, just like my mother and aunties. I learnt that with time my life could be what they taught me and much more. I know I can do and be what I want. Having fulfilled the role of wife and mother, I felt that something was missing. So I decided to go back to school and look for a job. It was 3 years later while being employed that I still needed to find real satisfaction. I began to reflect deeply and began to ponder over my gifts and talents. In an outpouring of ideas, I discovered my talent whilst on a Femtech training programme specifically for women. I was sure that I would go ahead with my entrepreneurial dream. One year later I resigned and founded Malachi Garden Service, which started without many resources, only 2 employees and a very old grass cutting machine. Without a lot of experience of what to expect, I simply started, full of fears and uncertainties, and got my first clients. I then decided to formalize my business. All the money that I earned, I invested in equipment and paid all my expenses, taking responsibility for the payment of salaries and taxes, so I never really felt the profits. As time passed, the machinery increased, the number of employees also increased, clients were good, so I looked for help to control the company’s accounting. I am currently learning that we – me and Malachi – are separate people. I already know how to delegate tasks. We now have 12 employees who firmly support this dream, and I want to grow more and more. and we are growing. I feel proud of being who I am. I recognize that there are many difficulties in business, both in the external and internal environment. The best thing to do is to be open to the good things, and prevent the bad things, both in terms of our employees and our equipment. Also, we look at our competitors as growth partners.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

For the future, I would like to write a book on gardening and have a channel on YouTube to talk about my experiences as a gardener. I would love to be able to give certified training.