Exclusive interview with Kamthuzi, young female entrepreneur
For 24 year-old Annie Heidi Kamthunzi, a distinct young Malawian female entrepreneur, tourism has grown to be her passion. She runs her own company Nqobile Tours & Safaris based in the commercial capital Blantyre. Nyasa Times’ Kimpho Loka talks to Annie whose goal is to become Minister of Tourism, determined to take Malawi to the far end of the globe and help reduce poverty in the south-east African state. She speaks about the business of safaris in the country. Excerpts:-
You are most likely the youngest proprietor of a Tour Agency in Malawi; give us a brief background of yourself and the business:
I guess I am! Well, I never envisioned myself in tourism but I guess destiny found its way. I first worked for four years as an office manager at Jambo Africa where I learned a lot and decided to run my own [company] Nqobile Tours & Safaris, which is the third Malawian owned company and I’m the first young lady to run such company in the country.
What exactly inspired you to establish such type of business, considering your age?
During my first years in the industry I developed more than interest to sale my country [Malawi] to a lot of tourists and being able to act as an ambassador of my country wherever I serve my clients and loved it more since then.
Tell us more about your job, what’s involved?
The nature of my business is ‘tour operation’, specialized in accommodation bookings, transfers, flights, car hire as well as tours and safaris in Malawi and neighbouring countries like Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa.
What’s so challenging about your job?
Mostly is marketing. Though we have a website but getting connections from other agencies can be a bit harder due to competition within the industry. It’s also tough more especially for us local investors as compared to our foreign colleagues who are able to penetrate the international market as most of them are able to market their businesses in their countries of origin.
What’s the highlight of your profession?
Since our work involves travelling a lot, we get to meet a lot of people from different countries, backgrounds and cultures and getting to market Malawi, especially to international tourists, is just so fascinating!
How can you describe the industry of safaris in the country?
We are getting there; Malawi has a lot to offer though it’s a small state. We have a wide range of beautiful tour destinations and a lot of tourists have a lot of good things to say about the nation once they experience their holidays here.
What drives Annie Kamthunzi as owner of Nqobile Tours and Safaris?
Honestly I’m a person who trusts a lot in the Lord so He is the one who drives me a lot. My family is also important in my life as they’re always there for me.
Who inspires you most and why?
My daddy [an entrepreneur himself] inspires me most. He is not a quitter and when I see where he is now, that inspires me a lot to keep going and will be very big one day!
How has your profession changed your life as a young woman?
It has changed a lot in the sense that young women look up to me as they come to me for help and motivation for them to go forward and do more with their lives as well.
What are your plans in the next ten years?
Well, at the moment I’m heading to Australia where I got a scholarship to study Tourism Marketing & Travel Agency Management for almost a year. Whilst there, I want to market Malawi anyway possible. I want to see more people visiting The Warm Heart of Africa, which will contribute a lot to our country through forex and tourists expenditure. As I also intend to do a Masters in Tourism, ten years from now I see myself being a role model for young people in my country for taking a chance to start a company at my age. With a goal to reduce poverty in Malawi, I see myself being Minister of Tourism in order to reach out to a large number of people across the country in establishing a lot of local projects in villages. I also intend to establish great quality training institute to educate the next generation about sustainable tourism.
Which are the most convenient destinations for safaris in Malawi?
Our beautiful Mount Mulanje, the great Lake Malawi, national parks, monuments as well as various community projects out there.
As a country, why would we invest much into tours and safaris?
Globally, tourism contributes a lot to nations’ economies and as a nation Malawi needs to pump more money into tourism if we want to grow our economy through tax, forex and expenditure of the tourists within the country. Huge investments in the industry will also boost the development of our infrastructure and will also see us reducing poverty through job creation.
What could be done differently to advance the industry?
Maintaining our infrastructures i.e. roads and mostly accessibility by flights should be improved to allow more tourists from outside Malawi visit our country. So, if the government can boost Air Malawi, it will change a lot.
Is there anything seminal that young women can learn from you as regards their future?
A few are into safaris. There is little interest from the locals to travel domestically. Many prefer visiting other countries than their own!
Who are your most reliable clients?
Medical students and missionaries from the US, Holland and UK, but most of them are individuals.
Anything seminal Malawian young women can learn from you?
Believe in yourself, work hard and don’t be afraid to go for your dream. Love your country and try your best to put it on the map!
What else do you do apart from running Nqobile Tours & Safaris?
I love volunteering in orphanages and feeding centres. Apart from the company making profits in the business, my dream and passion is to make sure that Nqobile Tours & Safaris is involved in helping local communities. I’m currently involved with Kid’s Word Malawi, Open Arms Orphan Care, Samaritan Trust and the Stephanos Foundation where we help villages around Blantyre in building schools, hospitals and orphanages. I have been making packages which have allowed the tourists to experience life with the locals and this has increased a number of volunteers from overseas to involve themselves in teaching the local schools, help orphanages and feeding centres.
Inspirational! Keep it up sis. Yes, Gov need to support this industry. By the way, have you wondered why tiny Jamaica receives a lot more of tourist than Malawi? It’s closer to the US. Yes, but that’s not all. It’s beautiful. Yes, but not more beautiful than Malawi. The answer is lively culture, happy people and of course readily available weed. I say let’s protect our Nkhota-kota gold and tell the police to turn a blind eye to tourists consuming the stuff. Let’s be like Holland. I was disappointed that Mrs Patricia Kaliyati closed down a lodge in Chintheche just because they served ‘marijuana cake to tourists’. What’s the matter! Haven’t these Ministers visited Amsterdam?
Govt also needs to invest in infrastructure. The other day I wanted to visit Nyika National Park and Livingstonia but our car got stuck right there in the dusty roads of Nyika. What a pathetic situation!
BTW, Nyasatimes, how can I add a photo to my profile? I see OneLifeNoFear have a picture nxt to their coment. OneLife, you can write to me to help out to: lama.dalai1@gmail.com
Lady Gaga Madeya
The Greens @ Luwinga
MZ2
‘…marijuana cake to tourists…’, those are things which add flavor to tourism. Some people think they are too moral, but this is the world, enjoy what nature provides. They will be shocked that cigarillos can be even more harmful.
Tell them, maybe they don’t know. Even those things like uranium which will bring us millions or billions are harmful, very deadly and I wonder the rationality of human morals
Zoona chilichonse has got a risky side kaya ndichakudya chimene is killing people.So why shouldn’t we get high on weed?Govts are corrupted stealing billions and me with only 1 gram of weed should be taken as a dead wood of the society..you are joking!!!!!
Congratulations Annie! This is Ryan Price’s mom…hope you remember me. I am so excited for you, the Lord is truly blessing your efforts.
Malawi is such an amazingly beautiful country and I pray the Lord will open many doors of opportunity for you to draw more people to your amazing country.
So…is Chad helping you with the marketing? I did not see his name mentioned, I thought he was going to be your right hand man…just kidding! Tell everyone hello, and once again best of luck!
Jaye
Thanks a million Jaye, ofcourse i remember you, u are like family to me!
Well Chad is not helping me as much,… he is busy marketing for my dad’s company now
My greetings to all the Price family for me too!
Love,
Annie
Yeah! Annie, kumeneko ndiye kubwela! So young yet so inspirational. We need more like you in Malawi. So proud of you girl. Guess it really runs in the family. You are really putting our Kamthunzi name on the map. Such a great interview. Look at them haters now from New Era eh? God is really wonderful. Praise the Lord and stay blessed!
ps, thank you Nyasa times. This is a great story. We need more stories like that. Not just about people in Malawi but also from abroad. I love this new website! its so cool. And the quality of the pictures is just incredible!
Tanthokoza cousy!! nanga tiziyamba ndife Amalawi kusintha dziko lathu!! We want to the Kamthunzi’s to show what they are made of
God is amazing & wonderful, full of surprises and i just love hin to daeth…he is the one who brought me to where i am now cousy!!
Thanks a million!!!!!!!!!!!xxxxxxxxxxxxx
I have been to the site and it looks quite attractive. However, for me I think they need to include more detail in their services…I dont even see any rates/charges for their services…a tourist or someone palnning travel will need to have all this information handy..it helps to paln things instead of hiding the costs…these are hard times and people need to make informed choices before they decide to…what will stop pipi from using Land O Lake Safaris that offer similra services but have all their artes straight…..this is positive criticism to a promising investment by our little young lady…..take care of yourself and good luck
Name!!!
Nice coming, keep it up. So proud with my same name pipo to see making it. Keep on making Malawi the WARM HEART. GOD BLESS YOU ABUNDATLY
Found the website, although no pricelist.
http://www.nqobile-tours-safaris.com/index.html
Thanks alot nthawi yathu & John Jangiya you both made good points, …all you comments & corrections are very helpful and i will put prices up very, very soon, its just our website still has a lot of work to be done to it so please bare with me….thanks again & God bless
Annie
That’s great, keep it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!
am so proud of you