29/09/2023
Title: An Inspirational Journey: Nkisu Yikona's Story of Resilience
My name is Nkisu Yikona, born on the 18th of March, 1987, at Ndola Central Hospital. My mother was a Midwife serving at both Ndola and Kitwe Central Hospitals, and she is also a Minister of the Gospel. My father, on the other hand, worked as a Phone Technician at Philips and also a Minister of the Gospel.
I discovered my passion for business at a very young age. When I was six years old, I would eagerly run to the nearby "Kantemba" market to observe how Musonda (Muzo) sold small groceries on behalf of our neighbor, Bana Ben. Occasionally, he would give me the opportunity to help him calculate the day's earnings by stocktaking, comparing how many eggs he had brought in for the day against how many had been sold. This passion continued to grow, and by the age of ten, I was determined to learn more about the world of business.
At the age of ten, I began frequenting Ba Chanda’s barbershop after school, where I begged him to teach me the art of cutting hair. Recognizing the fire in my eyes, Ba Chanda slowly started teaching me the trade. Within a few months, I managed to save up enough money to purchase a basic domestic hair-cutting machine. I started charging my friends, including Bupe, Sydney, Felix, and a few others, for their amateur haircuts. I honed my skills on my younger brother David's head, mastering the art of cutting hair. However, I had to abandon this trade when I went to boarding school in Solwezi.
In 2005, five months after completing my grade 12 education and shortly after turning 18, I found myself contemplating my next steps in my academic career. I had a conversation with my parents and convinced them of my desire to start a business while waiting for college to open. I presented them with a verbal business plan: I wanted to travel to Nakonde to order handbags, makeup kits, and men's and women's clothing for resale. My parents were intrigued by the idea and immediately provided me with the equivalent of K2,000.00 as my initial capital, along with an additional K600 for transport and logistics for my first trip to Nakonde.
Three days after receiving my capital, I boarded a bus bound for Nakonde. The journey began at 16:00 from Kitwe and concluded at 05:00 in Nakonde. After crossing into Tunduma, Tanzania, I exchanged my K2,000 for Tanzanian Shillings and began making purchases. I was overwhelmed by how much I could buy with that money, and I kept adding to my stock without worrying about how to transport it back to the bus stop.
The total sales from this consignment amounted to approximately K4,800.00. As soon as I completed my sales, I promptly boarded the next bus back to Nakonde. However, challenges arose as I had made 80% of my sales on credit, and collecting receivables proved to be a challenging endeavor. In short, this venture crumbled to the ground, depleting my capital. About a year and a half later, my parents and brother decided to send me to college.
While in school, my friend Simawe and I, with the assistance of my younger brother Mukwange, identified an opportunity. We observed that the affluent students at our institution avoided taking public buses to exam centers during exams. So, we developed a system of coordinating with Kulima Tower to secure stylish buses and transport students to and from exam centers for a reasonable fee. This venture, though seasonal, allowed us to develop invaluable customer service skills.
In my final semester at the institution, my close friend Humphrey noticed that students residing in the boarding section of our school were reluctant to venture to nearby markets to purchase tomatoes. We seized this opportunity by proposing a partnership with Mrs. Zulu, who had an abundant tomato farm. We offered to buy tomatoes from her and pay her after a week, a proposal she readily accepted. Our cost per box was K65, and upon repackaging, we sold each box for K245. This business was unique because it required no initial capital investment. However, it eventually died a natural death a few months later, as I secured my first formal job as an Accounts Advisor at a leading audit firm. This job provided me with a wealth of experience in finance, finance management, and cost accounting. Unfortunately, the organization underwent downsizing, and I was among those affected.
In response, I decided to relocate to my parents' home in Kitwe to regroup and re-strategize. My father generously provided me with an Opel Cadet (my first car), and I took on the role of dropping off and picking up my mother from work at Kitwe Central Hospital. One morning, as I was returning home at 8:45 AM after dropping her off for her morning shift, I decided to make a quick stop at Copperbelt University to purchase a cream donut from a shop called "OASIS." Inside the shop, I was astonished to discover that a single egg was priced at K1. While waiting for my cream donut, I noticed that more than four students entered OASIS and purchased at least two eggs each. It became evident that eggs were a staple in their diet. I promptly left the shop, headed to Chisokone market, and found a man parked with a truck full of trays of eggs, selling each at K16. I knew I could make a fortune selling eggs at CBU.
I couldn’t wait for my mother and father to knock off from work for me to tell them about my next plan. My mom was cooking dinner, and Dad was reading his newspaper, so I went and asked Dad for a few minutes. I told him that I wanted to start a business selling eggs at CBU. He asked me to explain further, and I outlined my simple 3 step strategy:
1. I would sell my eggs at K0.8 (80 ngwee), 20% cheaper than OASIS.
2. I would package them in units of 10 eggs in a single plastic, encouraging students to buy more at once.
3. I would take the eggs to their rooms, offering door-to-door sales. This convenience would allow students to focus on their studies instead of wasting time walking to the shop.
Dad was sold on the idea, and he put away his newspaper took a walk into the kitchen. I overheard him explaining my plan to Mom, and within an hour of sharing my idea, an executive decision was made. I was given capital to purchase 100 trays of eggs, plastic packaging, and initial fuel for my deliveries.
I consider this eggs business one of the best I've ever done because it allowed me to develop exceptional customer service skills. Students loved my service, simply texting me their room number and the number of units they wanted, and I would make the deliveries. One of my most emotional moments was when I knocked on a student's door, and he allowed me to enter. He was standing beside his drawing board, working on a complex engineering question. Despite not liking eggs or their smell, he decided to buy six units (2 trays) because of how I had marketed them. It was my biggest sale that day.
My business grew rapidly, and I would sell 100 trays of eggs in just four days, resulting in a gross profit of K800 every four days.
This business came to a heartbreaking end one Friday afternoon when Mukwange, Mulenga, and I were going room by room to sell eggs. The CBU Police stopped us and impounded our eggs, claiming that my business was illegal and shouldn't be conducted on the CBU grounds. Upon investigation, I discovered that the eggs in OASIS were not selling due to my competition. My father sought an audience with the Dean of Students, Mrs. Chinyanta, to explain how my business was affected by the CBU Police. Unfortunately, Mrs. Chinyanta insisted that I couldn't continue my business as I was not a registered supplier at CBU like OASIS, and my business compromised their profitability. I was devastated and decided to leave Kitwe and return to Lusaka in February 2011 to find another job.
In Lusaka, I secured jobs in three different organizations (at different times), but in December 2013, I sat down with my best friend Mangaliso at Nadias in Woodlands and shared my strong desire to return to my passion for business and never look back. His words of encouragement boosted my morale when he said, "You have everything it takes to make it."
Exactly one month after our conversation, on the 11th of February, 2014, I was at PACRA with my girlfriend Kuwunda (wife now), registering our first official business, a security company named SKY-LINK SECURITY SOLUTIONS LIMITED. She received 10% of the shares, and I retained 90%. I nervously called my parents to share the news, and instead of discouraging me, they offered their blessings and gave me capital to start. I also called my big brother Ching'embu, who gave me his support and more financial capital.
Skylink began, and although I faced numerous challenges, including eviction from my house and staying at the office, the business eventually stabilized. Today, Skylink is still standing strong and will in 5 months will celebrate its 10th anniversary.
In 2017, we diversified our portfolio and launched HK Creations. With 3 Shareholders;
•Womba, whose primary role is overseeing the Finance and Administrative part of the entity.
•Ku, the brains behind customer care and our retention strategy. She also oversees our ex*****on structure.
•Nkisu, I focus on the Business Development agenda as well as pushing the overall vision of the brand.
HK is a creative and marketing agency with two major business divisions:
•Creative and Marketing Wing: We focus on providing marketing strategies and solutions for our corporate clients.
•Event Management Wing: We specialize in providing event solutions to corporate clients, offering services such as sound, stage, lighting, digital screens, marquees, videography, photography equipment etc.
With a commitment to quality service and customer care, we have built a client base of over 120 large corporate clients, both local and international corporations. The organization employs 18 local creatives dedicated to serving the creative space with passion.
In July 2024, HK Creations will celebrate its 7th anniversary. www.hkcreations.org
In 2019, we launched 2nd Door, a Corporate Social Responsibility Budget Management Agency. 2nd Door's mandate is simple: understand the needs affecting civil society, especially the marginalized sector, and create sustainable solutions. We approach the private sector through their CSR budgets to address these needs.
2nd Door will turn 5 years old in February 2024. www.2nddoor.org
I share my story to inspire you and show that it is possible to achieve your dreams. I'm proud of myself, yet I do not drive a V8 Land Cruiser or a RoseRoyce Cullinan or own a mansion, but because I have persevered through countless failures and challenges. My success is defined by my resilience and determination.
I keep dreaming, falling, getting back up, re-strategizing, thinking, restarting, and trying again and again. The one thing I never do is give up.
No matter what you're facing, don't give up. Please, don't give up.
Nkisu Fulela Yikona
Chairman of:
•Skylink Security Solutions
•HK Creations
•2nd Door
