Tsitsi Mutendi, a Zimbabwean entrepreneur passionate about business legacy

Through various board appointments in numerous industries, Tsitsi has had exposure to many global business development strategies especially in Africa. She has vast international business and family business experience. Today, Tsitsi is the founder and owner of Nhaka Legacy Planning which she formed in 2018. Her main focus is on working with Individuals, family businesses and families of wealth in family governance and family governance tools, as well as working with family offices to create relevance between family and office. Her other expertise includes; family philanthropy, family communication coaching, family and business strategic planning, succession planning, business continuity strategies, setting up family governance tools such as family constitution, family council and family assemblies, coaching and mentoring. Tsitsi has a certificate in Family Business Advisory and Advanced Certificate in Family Wealth Advisory through the global Family Business Education Network, Family Firms Institute. Tsitsi is an Athena40 Speaker and 2021 Executive Community Member of Professional Speakers Association of South Africa. She is also a columnist and contributor for www.billionaires.africa. Her passion for family business has awarded her the opportunity to be an international speaker and author on the subject, particularly on family governance and business continuity. Tsitsi has a weekly podcast called Enterprising Families that focuses on discussing issues that affect family enterprises and family businesses, helping them to manage better their journeys as families in business, and other issues that are of interest to them.

Lioness Weekender spoke to serial entrepreneur Tsitsi Mutendi this month to learn more about her unique business building journey and her passion for serial entrepreneurship with impact.

When did your start your business?:

I was an entrepreneur from the age of 19 but I officially had my first company in 2007.

What does your company do?:

My main focus in on Family Business Advising through my consultancy Nhaka legacy (www.nhakalegacy.com) and the non-profit African Family Firms (www.africanfamilyfirms.org). I am a third generation family business owner and I have built many businesses over the years. The ones that I continue to run and own are DanTs Media – a publishing house (14years), DanTs Smart – a software development firm (3 years) (www.dantsmedia.com) and Mutendi Montessori group of primary schools (5years) (www.mutendimontessori.com). I wear many hats but all of these companies are now over 4 years old and are thriving businesses that I am passionate about and continue to invest in. Today, my businesses employ 100 people.

What inspired you to start your company?

I come from an entrepreneurial background with both my grandparents having been family business owners. My parents went on to set up their own businesses. So after a brief two year stint in corporate, I resigned myself to the fact that my calling is one as an entrepreneur, and since I was 23 that has been my path. My businesses have been inspired by my needs and my community’s needs. Publishing, because we need to tell and own more African stories across media and DanTs does just that. Education, because I believe the narrative of Africa belongs to the next gens and it’s our responsibility to ensure they get the best education, especially from the early ages. Montessori methodology is world class and life changing. I chose this as a method I wanted more African children to be exposed to. Software development, because the future is in tech. The global lockdowns made this evermore apparent. I enjoy the challenge and growth in this space. As a developer I am part of the innovation from the get go. Family Business Advisory, because family businesses run the world. The majority go global GDP and the employers are family businesses. Coming from a family business and running them, I know how important they are for the present and future of African economies. I would like to see generational growth and wealth become a norm in the continent.

Why should anyone use your service or product?

My different businesses address a need that is continuous and can never be truly saturated. I appreciate the different challenges we address and my focus on every business is service. Understanding who we serve, why we serve them and how do we continue to pay it forward and help those that use our services to pay it forward. The world is one ecosystem and we are intertwined by a thin thread that runs through our everyday existence.

Tell us a little about your team

I have a very strong and solid team in every facet of my work. I ensure that I empower those that are on my teams to make decisions and be the best that they can be. My favourite saying is “Team work makes the dream work”. A cliche but an effective one when taken to heart. An African Proverb I hold dear is “If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together.” I leave no man behind and I invest in my teams. Once the team understands that we are one and that what we do affects the collective, you see the essence of ubuntu come alive. Allowing others to make decisions and helping them to make the decisions is the highest measure of trust that can be refreshing, more so if you invest in their development and growth. I have had team members who have gone on to build phenomenal careers and businesses, which I am so so proud of for them.

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

I grew up in an entrepreneurial family. I was in the background when my parents built their businesses and I saw some of my grandparents successes and heard the stories. Family friends owned businesses and so it was a community of exposure. However, as an adult some of the biggest lessons have been in building and failing. Failing because the idea was way before its time, failing because I gave up too early and failing because it was a bad idea. The essence of entrepreneurship is that failure is part of the journey and the amazing kaleidoscope of life. You will fail and it will hurt and your ego will be bruised. However, the true strength is taking those broken pieces and making them part of the future build. You cannot replace the value of first-hand experience. At 23 I went into corporate and my first job was at a fortune 500 corporation. I stayed for 2 years and joined another corporate but smaller in size. I realized pretty early that this life was not meant for me. I am the captain of my own ship. So I ventured out on to the open seas with full sails open and I have not looked back. I have learnt to better adjust my sails and re-navigate my destination when necessary.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

My future aspiration for my current businesses is to have a continental footprint. I love Africa and I see the vast possibilities that it holds. Patience is necessary, as well as tenacity. We have the capability to grow beyond what we currently think possible. I hope by investing in telling our stories and empowering our children with a good foundation to their education, I can add value into a future that will one day be today. I believe my work is legacy work. Like a tree planted today, we may not see fruits tomorrow or even in the immediate few years but as it grows and becomes a giant baobab it will give fruit. I am working to ensure that that tree stands tall in the vast Savanna and the thick jungle and it provides nourishment to the communities it will serve.

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

A dear friend once said to me “The most dangerous of men are those who dream when they are awake.” I loved that. Because when we wake up and we keep dreaming we create amazing realities. The feeling of satisfaction of bringing alive a dream into reality is what brings me the most satisfaction. We all dream. But the power to take the dream from my imaginations and put it into real life and have it on the ground. That for me is more than just satisfying. It’s a calling to greatness. Moreso when I see the work I do create a ripple effect that grows and keeps growing. That there is the most amazing feeling.

What’s the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

Don’t Give Up. Rome was not built in a day. It still stands now hundreds of years later. Your idea may seem outlandish, capital may be hard to come by, the market may not be ready. Keep pushing. Start small and don’t underestimate humble beginnings. Passion is awesome but tenacity and determination will see you through. The struggle is part of the story. It wouldn’t be a great story if it didn’t have the suspense. And most importantly COLLABORATE. Alone you may go fast but your network will take you further. Platforms like Lionesses of Africa are a great space to find possible collaborations. And remember, nothing is new under the sun, your product may not be new but your take on it and your version of it may be exactly what the world needs, so go out there and make it happen.

To learn more about Tsitsi’s story, or to speak to her about her business portfolio, send an email to: tsitsi@tsitsimutendi.com or visit Tsitsi’s personal website or social media platforms:

Website: http://www.tsitsimutendi.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TsitsiMMutendi

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TsitsiMutendi

Instagram: http://instagram.com/Tsitsi_Mutendi

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Tsitsi Mutendi, a Zimbabwean entrepreneur passionate about business legacy — Lionesses of Africa

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