Meet Faith Katsaura, an ambitious young Zimbabwean woman, entrepreneur and a women empowerment champion.
Faith believes, Maya Angelou said it best when she said, “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and do so with some passion, some compassion some humour and style.”
What are you most passionate about in life?
There are two things that I am most passionate about, the advancement of entrepreneurship in Zimbabwe and the empowerment of Zimbabwean women.
What characteristics would you say one needs to be a successful entrepreneur?
To be a successful entrepreneur in Zimbabwe you need to be resilient, innovative and dedicated.
Which one of your projects has been your most favourite to work on and why?
As indicated above, one of the things I’m most passionate about is the empowerment of Zimbabwean women. To date, my most favourite project would have to be QueenMakers. QueenMakers is a platform that was created to provide Zimbabwean women an opportunity to network with like minded women, celebrate each other success and receive training on various topics that pertain to women in business. The platform has grown significantly over the past few years and seeing the impact it has had on the women has been life changing. I live for these moments.
How did the Zuva Printers come to be?
Zuva Printers is a company based in Zimbabwe that’s seeks to provide cost effective and innovative printing and branding solutions to the Zimbabwean market.
I began my career as a marketing intern for a big Printing and Packaging company at the age of 19. I fell in love with the business and knew then that one day I would want to establish my own printing company.
Years later, I started Zuva Printers in 2012 at a time when a lot of companies in the industry were closing due to the challenges being faced in economy. Seeing that there was an opportunity to service the void which was being left in the market. Zuva Printers was born. This year we celebrate our 5th year anniversary and I’m pleased with the progress made so far. Nurturing and growing a business and seeing the brand grow has been enlightening.
What inspires everything that you do?
The knowledge that I have the power to be and do anything that I set I mind on inspires everything I do. I am not afraid to go into spaces that are male dominated or are seen to not be for women.
What is your proudest achievement in life?
It’s hard to single out one single thing. I have been so blessed and have celebrated so many milestones on this journey called life. However, more recently in 2014 being awarded winner in the SME Category of the ZNCC Women in Enterprise Conference was mind blowing. At that point Zuva Printers had been running for 2 years and to receive such recognition showed me that I was running in the right direction and it motivated me to push even harder.
How best do we go about building a generation of entrepreneurs that will help develop our country?
In Zimbabwe, the educational system and social values are not geared towards creating entrepreneurs, mainly due to the lack of structures that enable the entrepreneur to develop their entrepreneurial skills. Having said that, I believe we need to introduce entrepreneurship into the educational system.
My belief is that many of us are born natural entrepreneurs, however it’s also something that can be learnt or developed. Even those born natural entrepreneurs might create innovative concepts and ideas but might not have the knowledge and expertise to translate their ideas into actual businesses.
What keeps you motivated during the low moments in your life?
The knowledge that the Lord My God looks out for me, and never leaves nor forsakes me.
What are you most fond of about being Zimbabwean?
Being Zimbabwean means one is resilient. I’m thankful for the lessons the country has taught me.
What is a typical day in your life like?
Never the same! That’s what I love about my job and my life
My day consist of school runs, meetings, presentations, and celebrating small victories daily.
What is the biggest lesson that you have learnt in your career and life so far, that you wished you knew sooner?
The importance of planning. There is no such thing as over planning. We live in a volatile world where business trends are constantly changing. There is need to be prepared for whatever may come your way.
As an entrepreneur where do you see yourself in the next five years?
I’m constantly working on myself, building and growing my brand. In 5 years’ time, I see myself at the helm of an EMPIRE. I have so many ideas I want to implement and work on in the next 5 years so you all have more to look forward to from this ambitious young woman.
What advice would you give to young Zim entrepreneurs trying to make their mark?
Never stop dreaming! Know that you have the power to do and be whatever you set your sights on. However, the road to success is different for each of us, so don’t compare yourself to others. Run your own race stay in your lane and trust the process. Hard work and determination will get you there. You are built for success!
How can people get in touch with you?
Facebook: Faith Katsaura
Twitter: @faithkats
Instagram: @faithkats
Email: faithk@zuvaprinters.com
