It’s dream come true for Chembe Benny Chembe in his boutique
Benny Chembe in his boutique

Benny Chembe in his boutique

Ruth Butaumocho : Gender profile

Small boys do have dreams and ambitions which they share with their peers, while herding cattle in the rural areas. Unlike their urban peers, who either want to be like car racer Mike Schumacher or the Madrid footballer Christian Ronaldo when they grow up – and with no outside heroes to emulate but their own – their dreams are often limited.That was not the case with rural born Benny Chembe, whose dream was to become a successful businessman, who would one day visit the village driving a big car.

With no successful businessmen in the village then, most of his peers would naturally scoff at his wild and outrageous ambitions.

More than three decades after sharing his dream with his peers in the rural areas, Mr Chembe seems to have edged towards his aspirations.

He not cruises with a top of the range Mercedes Benz, but he also owns a distribution company that caters for men’s clothing.

“I am almost close to what I have always dreamt of. It is a pity that whenever I go back to the village, the boys that I used to share my dream with are no longer there,” he chuckled during the interview.

With his boutiques having become a household name in dressing discerning men who are willing to spend a couple of hundred dollars in a designer suit, Mr Chembe’s aspirations continue to grow.

“I am planning on opening yet another clothing range, but focusing on women’s clothing.”

“My focus is on clothing, because I love clothes, I eat and dream clothing,” said the humble and unassuming Mr Chembe.

The distribution and retailing chain with a branch at Joina City is renowned for dressing male local celebs by offering them a wide range of tuxedos, blazers, tailor made designer suits from Armani, Emernegildo Zegna, William Westmancott, Zoot to Amosu Vanquish among other big names.

More often than not scouting around wholesalers and big factories looking for clothing apparel for resale is often considered as a female domain.

Not anymore, says Mr Chembe who has to travel the length and breadth of the globe to some of the renowned fashion houses looking for merchandise that are trending on the international fashion scene.

“I travel to countries like China, Turkey, Hong Kong, Thailand and the neighbouring South Africa for clothes which are reasonably priced but also trendy,” he revealed.

But how did a rural boy from a less privileged family became a fashion savvy guru?

“I stumbled into this industry by accident having tried my hand in many areas including selling basic commodities at the height of economic crisis in Zimbabwe around 2008.”

Having finished his secondary education and with no prospects of getting employment, Mr Chembe’s sister gave him a seed capital of $300 and he immediately became a cross border.

With constant interference from his sister, in less than two years, Mr Chembe went burst. Realising that he had missed an opportunity to venture into serious business and with prospects of any funding from anyone, he swallowed his pride and took up a job as a loader known as hwindi.

It was during the darkest hour of his life when he met Mr Nyabadza, who was to become his mentor, brother, friend and confidante.

“I am what I am today because of him. He assisted me to become what I am today.”

With no single dollar in the pocket but with brilliant business ideas coupled by hard work, Mr Nyabadza gave Mr Chembe a huge consignment of foodstuffs for export to Zambia.

“He did not ask for any collateral, for I didn’t have any. But he had seen in me the eagerness to work hard and naturally, he was impressed,” he recalled.

For some time, he became a regular at the Chirundu Border post, a route he would use to export his wares to Zambia, where the market was amenable.

Within a short period, Mr Chembe was in a good financial footing, which he decided to use to venture in business.

He decided to rent a clothing shop in the city centre, as part of his bigger plan to have a base from where he could operate from.

“It was during my exports escapades that I developed a passion for clothing, good clothes.

“I realised that I had an eye for good clothes. I did not want my passion to end there and I realised that I could make money out of it.”

A few months after opening the shop, Mr Chembe realised that business was very low.

“It later dawned to me that the place was not strategic and was situated at the far end of the city, which was patronized by a few customers.”

Determined to remain in business against all odds, Mr Chembe moved in the central business district and the rest is history.

“I am planning to build on what I already have, and I believe it is possible,” he said.

With the economic turbulence, playing havoc in the pockets of many, Mr Chembe says business has been subdued.

“There will always be the discerning clientele that still want to look good and naturally will buy,” said Mr Chembe, a father of four.

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