29/11/2025
How Mr. Mulenga Made Money and Still Went Broke: A Zambian Tale of Poor Resource Allocation
If you want a good story about resource mismanagement, come to Zambia and sit with SME owners at a braai. You will hear enough stories to fill a podcast. One of the most memorable is the story of Mr. Mulenga, the proud owner of a stationery and printing shop in Ndola.
Mulenga was a classic Zambian hustler — hardworking, disciplined, and always up before the sun. His shop was busy, trusted by schools, NGOs, and even small mining companies. Customers loved him. Business was flowing. Money was moving. And yet, somehow, Mulenga was always stressed, always short of cash, and always borrowing to survive another month.
One evening during a backyard braai, while everyone else discussed football and the price of mealie meal, Mulenga suddenly sighed and said, “Guys, I make money every day but my pocket is always dry. Maybe I am cursed.”
His best friend, Lombe, burst out laughing and said, “My brother, it’s not curses. It’s your spending habits.”
Everyone turned to listen.
Lombe continued, “You run that business with emotions. Every time you make profits, you buy things you don’t need. You are like a man watering plastic flowers.”
The group erupted in laughter, but Mulenga knew Lombe was telling the truth.
Mulenga spent money impulsively. When he made a big sale, he bought fancy office chairs. When he secured a corporate contract, he upgraded his shop’s sound system. And when someone told him that lamination was the next big thing, he bought a laminator that ended up looking like a museum donation.
Meanwhile, the real areas that needed resources were completely ignored.
His machines were outdated and slow.
His staff needed training.
Marketing was non-existent.
And worst of all, he mixed personal and business finances in a way that would give any accountant a migraine.
Seeing his friend’s frustration, Lombe asked him a series of simple, honest questions:
“Do you even know which part of your business brings the most profit?”
“Do you know which part of your shop eats the biggest chunk of your money?”
“What exactly is your plan for how you spend money each month?”
Mulenga couldn’t answer any of them.
Lombe sat with him the next day in the shop and helped him write down all his expenses, revenue streams, and operational needs. They created a very basic resource plan: where money should go first, which areas deserved investment, and which expenses were simply vanity purchases.
When they finished, Mulenga looked at the paper and held his head.
“My friend, I have been funding decorations while my machines are dying.”
They immediately reallocated money to repairing equipment, training staff, and boosting his marketing efforts.
They separated personal money from business money. They even created a small weekly budget to track spending.
Three months later, everything had changed.
His income became predictable.
His costs went down.
His delivery times improved.
His stress levels reduced.
And for the first time since opening his shop, he had actual savings.
One afternoon as they sat outside drinking Mosi, Mulenga laughed and said, “So all this time it was not witchcraft. It was poor resource allocation.”
Lombe replied, “Exactly. Your business didn’t need more money. It needed direction.”
Key Lesson
A business without resource planning will always feel broke, even when it is making money. Zambian entrepreneurs must understand that resources are only powerful when they are allocated with intention. Otherwise, even the most profitable business will struggle.
