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Tafadzwa Zimoyo
Senior Lifestyle Writer

Zimbabwe joined the world in celebrating International Women’s Day on  Tuesday and a lot of stories have been told – some of success and some very hurting!

The Herald caught up with a determined young woman who turned her creative talent and passion into a career.

Born Yolanda Moyo affectionately known as Yoyo  , thirty-one years ago, the young entreprenuer had to quit a decent job at a state owned mobile service provider after an 8 year stint to pursue her passion for flowers.

Using her creativity to play around and create themes with flowers, Yoyo started her own floral company called Florique whose core business is providing and arranging flowers at all family and corporate events.

“We are into providing flowers at  events as well as gifting and flower hampers.

“I am so passionate about putting different creative pieces together, so with flowers every arrangement is different from the previous,” she said with a chuckle.

“In other words I’m not rigid but rather driven by creativity.

“Putting a smile on someone’s face is priceless. “Everytime l have a surprise delivery and someone smiles or cries, that touches my heart. Everyone deserves to be happy in their lives and what better way than fresh flowers,” she added.

Yoyo is not a stranger to entrepreneurship, having cut her teeth during her high school days where she would save her pocket money and bought chocolates for resale .

“When I was at school during vacation we would go to Salvation Army Youth conferences.

“I would buy chocolates  and sell them to young couples at the entrance.

“Instead of  attending different youth activities or programmes, l would be selling,” said Yoyo.

Upon graduation from university, she got a job at a telecommunication company and ventured into selling perfumes and clothes, leading to opening of a boutique in the capital.

She was to  diversify into tobacco farming, but the project suffered a stillbirth owing to academic and work commitments.

Inspired by Strive  Masiyiwa and Michelle Obama. Yoyo says in the next five years her vision is to run a flowers farm for local  distribution and export

“In Zimbabwe I am inspired by Strive Masiyiwa. Even though he is in a different Industry , l appreciate his hardwork and how he pushed and prayed for what he has now. I am a spiritual person and believe that prayer aligns everything that concerns my life.

“Internationally, I would say, Mitchell Obama, being so powerful yet playing her role as a loving wife and present mother inspires me .

“Oprah Winfrey also inspires me. I’m a giver and would like to open an orphanage or  platform to help people in need, so in the  hope that l will be successful one day l would like to have platforms that empower, where people get  to tell their stories to inspire the next person and my voice and the voices of many to be heard on international platforms, “she said.

The youthful entrepreneur attended Cecil John Rhodes Primary in Gweru and proceeded to St Francis of Assisi for her high school.

She then enrolled with the National University of Science and Technology where she graduated with an Honours degree in marketing.

She pursued Postgraduate studies. at the Open Learning Centre

She is a teetotaller and loves cooking.

Moyo is single and he urged the Government to continue empowering young women in business through providing credit lines and easy access to business loans.

She started her business through personal savings and dared young women not to be intimidated by the male-dominated business world.