From poverty to riches

By Robert Kumwenda

When Donex Zimbulani owner of Donz Engineering decided to start own business after living job little did he know that his company will grow into a big company.

He said after leaving job he was going to South Africa where he was buying clothes which he was selling in Mozambique.

Zimbulani said the genesis of this is when one day the Mozambican customs seized his goods despite showing them all the necessary papers saying that worse still they refused to be given any some of money.

“That is the reason why l decided to start my own company in 1999 l had more interest in this Business when l went to Zimbabwe in 1998 where l leant various skills that were not available in Malawi, l also discovered that here were lacking behind because we were using gate wires.” he said.

He said in 2001 he registered his business as a company though demand was low as compared to now and then, people in this industry were very few.

:”Generally everything is going well despite instability of the price of the goods that we use , the other challenge that we are facing is that most of our customers are the locals as such there is no big competition,” he said.

Zimbulani said in future he intends to open other branches in the country and if the business can grow to another level saying that this can happen if government take a leading role in helping the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s).

He urges those who inspire to be a welder that the job is not a simple one and a welding is a good career that can take number one position in the World because in everything that people use they need a welder.

“Government should intervene in helping the youth who have interest in this career because it is a career that develops any nation,” he said.

The fifty year old Zimbulani did his primary education at Dzimphonje Primary School in Chikwawa in the area of T/A Chapananga and his secondary at Chikwawa secondary school.

He likes swimming and his favorite food is chips fresh fish, he is married to Agness Chilema they have five children four boys and a girl.

He hails from Dzimphonje village in the area of T/A Chapananga and he did welding and fabrication at Polytechnic in 1986 to 1989 and he obtained a degree.

His company is located at Kamba in Blantyre close to Kamba market.