entrepreneurship – Chanters Lodge Livingstone

The Curio Experience!

Meet Kebby Chimunya (above), Livingstone businessman and Guest on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay Hillz, our weekly radio show airing at 20.30 hrs CAT every Sunday night on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. Kebby has a shop at number 41 Mukuni Park in the city, just a ten minute walk from the lodge, selling curios, carvings and other souvenirs to visitors. “I always tell our Guests they must haggle the prices with you when they visit your market!” I told Kebby at the top of the show, “do you give them a good deal?” “Always!” The unsurprising reply. “What’s your best selling item?” Milli Jam wondered and Kebby told listeners there is an angel made from sisal and banana leaves, in various different poses, selling at about ZK30 (US$5). Light in weight it is the most popular item with tourists. “Not wire warthogs or carved giraffes”! We laughed.

Milli Jam wondered how our Guest had first got involved in the souvenir business and Kebby explained that his elder brother had helped him make the breakthrough. Leaving Linda High School he had found it very hard to find employment and with his brother’s help he had now been involved in the curio business for about eight years. “How’s business?” We wondered. Kebby replied that the best months were from May to September but that business was very tough for the rest of the year. “Much the same as the lodges.” I commented, and then made the point – not for the first time on our show – that the city of Livingstone needs Zesco (Zambia’s electricity company which diverts the water above the Falls) to let the water go over Victoria Falls on the Zambian side for at least an hour a day, every day, during the dry season. A plea that will presumably fall on deaf ears – again!

The music on the show was great with latest tracks from Calvin Harris, Coldplay, and Ariana Grande. Jay and Milli Jam picked numbers from Mubby Roux ft Tommy D, Davido, Michael Jackson ft Justin Timberlake as well as Karasa. My pick of the week was D’Banj’s ‘Bother You’ which samples Lionel Richie’s ‘All Night Long’. Our oldie of the week was a Zambian track ‘Kedike’ by Chidinma. The prize we give to the first person to text us the name of the the artist was won, with lots of contestants mostly getting the answer wrong!

Kebby told listeners that he is married with one child. Music wise he loves the Gospel genre and mentioned Ambassadors of Christ and Exile as his favourite performers. On a more worldly basis he likes Westlife! He has enjoyed quite a few of the tourist activities available in Livingstone including the museum, sunset cruise and fishing. He has never bungee jumped. His favourite football team is Barcelona and when it comes to England – Liverpool. He told us that he gets visitors from all over the world to his shop, but especially many from USA, Canada and Italy.

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing in ten years’ time, this hard working, enterprising entrepreneur said that while he would like to still be in business for himself, he also wanted to undergo further education and training as a nurse.

We wished him the best of luck and thanked him for coming on the show.

8
MAY

activities, Africa, broadcasting, Business, education, electricity, entertainment, entrepreneurship, football, livingstone, Museum, music, radioshow, tourism, training, victoriafalls, Zambia

Chris Taxis and Tours

It is inspiring to see how Chris Mweetwa (above) has expanded and developed his company over the past five years. The latest addition to his ‘fleet’ being a luggage trailer (parked at our lodge) – and they are not cheap. Chris looks after most of our Guest and staff transport requirements and comes highly recommended. Here’s the link to his website. Don’t forget to review his operation on Trip Advisor if you have used his services. Here’s the blurb:

“We are a travel and leisure company offering excellent and cost effective Tour and Car Hire Services in Zambia. We are located in Livingstone home to the Mighty Victoria falls.

The Company, since its establishment represents transport products, which have been carefully, selected from major activities provided in Livingstone. Acting this way, Chris Taxi & Tours Ltd has managed to continually enrich its product line, from simple ordinary taxi business to the modern transport system of the new millennium and to recently expand its activities to offer tours to the tourism sector.”

29
APR

Africa, Business, entrepreneurship, guests, livingstone, staff, tourism, transport, Zambia

The Massaj Experience!

Meet Davison Munsanda Junior, better known to Livingstone residents, especially club goers, as Pivot Massaj, well known DJ, MC as well as clearing and forwarding agent, pictured above centre with Jay-Hillz (left) and Milli Jam (right). Pivot was our Guest on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Jay-Hillz, our regular Sunday night radio show airing at 20.30 hours for an hour every week on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station.

Pivot told listeners that he had chosen the stage name ‘Pivot’ because he felt at the time that the music scene in Livingstone revolved around the music he was playing in clubs, and the rap he was singing in shows. He added ‘Massaj’ because his music soothes the nerves as well as the soul. He is not a young man ‘backward in coming forward’ as my late mother might have said! Currently he is studying events management, whilst being a regular DJ at East Point, one of Livingstone’s most popular night spots, located near the temporary bus station close to the old North Western Hotel. He is also working in the family’s clearing and forwarding business.”How do you find time to do all that you do”? Milli Jam wondered and Pivot’s quick reply was “99 Jobs”! He was referring to a hot Zambian hit of that name recorded by Chef 187 about the need for young Zambians to move from one job to another every day to make a living!

Pivot went on to explain that when he first started in the music business his family had been very keen to for him to have a ‘proper job’ and although he’d initially resisted the call, later he’d been obliged to work for the family’s clearing and forwarding agency ‘to keep the peace’. “What’s your biggest problem”? Milli Jam wondered. “Getting enough sleep!” Replied Pivot.

The music on the show was great. We opened as usual with ‘Hey Brother’ from Avicii, quickly followed, after the introductions, by Aloe Blacc’s ‘The Man’ and John Martin’s first solo single ‘Anywhere For You’. We followed with tracks from Kapansa, Rihanna, Daft Punk featuring Jay-Z as well as Mampi, one of Zambia’s hottest singing divas. The track we featured was ‘Nikutantule’.

No-one won the prize we give each week to the first person to text us the name of the artist on our oldie of the week, we featured ‘Bird On A Wire’ from The Neville Brothers. Not even Man U supporters! Our pick of the week was The Wanted’s ‘Glow In The Dark’.

Milli Jam wondered which UK football team supported but when he said ‘Man U’ our presenter quickly moved on to a different subject, wondering whether Pivot was married. He replied that he was spoken for and that he had both a girl friend and a child. This caused some ladies to post on our Facebook page demanding that Pivot should ‘name the girlfriend’ – he failed to do so! We wondered what was the biggest event for which Pivot had been the MC and he replied that a function for the UNWTO general meeting in Livingstone in 2013 had been the biggest. He named his greatest inspiration as our very own Milli Jam explaining to listeners that it was he Milli Jam who had given him his first chance as a DJ and taught him the job. Milli Jam was chuffed to bits!

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing in ten years’ time, Pivot said that he would like to be marketing the country outside Zambia ‘on a bigger platform’, that his future was in God’s hands and that he wished to avoid a lot of the health hazards around in Zambia for the sake of his daughter.
It was a pleasure to welcome this self-confident, hard working, personable young man as the Guest on our show.

11
APR

Africa, broadcasting, Business, education, energy, entertainment, entrepreneurship, football, livingstone, music, radioshow, training, Zambia

The Chris Tours Experience

It was a pleasure to welcome back Chris Mweetwa (above), director of Chris Tours, as our Guest on the latest edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild. The Experience is our weekly Sunday night radio show airing at 20.30 hrs CAT on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. The show is a lively mixture of latest Zambian and international music as well as chat with our Guest of the week. If one of our listeners can quickly text us the name of the artist singing on our ‘oldie of the week’ there’s also the chance to win dinner for two with drinks at the lodge – and a swim if the weather’s up for it and the water’s warm!

Chris told listeners that when he’d last appeared on our show, some three years ago, he was a taxi driver on the verge of completing a contract with the vehicle’s owner which would then give him ownership of that car. He revealed that in the three intervening years he had completed that contract and had then successfully established a tours and taxi company, Chris Tours. He was now the proud owner of a fleet of six vehicles, three mini-buses and three taxis. He had managed to get a loan to start off the expansion and had progressed from there. As well as the regular taxi business, the company offers airport transfers, transfers to any point in Zambia and surrounding countries, as well as vehicle hire and safaris, especially to Chobe NP in Botswana. Chris gave listeners details of his website and Facebook page and mentioned that his company handles all Chanters Lodge Clients to Botswana, as well as staff transport for the lodge.

The music on the show was great. We opened with latest tracks from Avicii and Leona Lewis. George dropped Zambian tracks from Macky 2 and Tyce. Milli Jam chose numbers from Ellie Goulding and One Direction. The prize of a dinner for two with drinks at the lodge to the first person to text us telling us who’s the artist on our oldie of the week, mentioned above, was not won on this show – George chose The Specials with a topical ‘Free Nelson Mandela’ a rather obscure if trendy single.

Chris revealed to listeners that he is married with 5 children, his eldest daughter is 15 and the youngest child just one year and 5 months old. Originally from Kalomo, north of Livingstone though still in Southern Province, Chris said he had been in Livingstone since he was 10 years old and had completed his education at Linda Secondary school in the city. He claimed he supported Arsenal FC in England while others present suggested he might have been forced to say this! He told listeners that he had recently returned from his first visit to Johannesburg and had been impressed with the multi lane highways as well as the Gauteng train in that city.

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing in ten years’ time, Chris said that he wanted to be in Livingstone having grown and expanded his excellent tour company. We had no doubt at all that he would succeed.

20
DEC

activities, Botswana, entertainment, entrepreneurship, livingstone, management, marketing, music, radioshow, tourism, transport, victoriafalls, Zambia

Marketing For Small Business

Seth Godin’s advice is always good. Here’s a piece from Inc Magazine to make you stop and think!

Seth Godin on the subject of marketing inside small businesses.

What marketing mistake do most small businesses make?
They believe in the mass market instead of obsessing about a micro market. They seek the mass market because it feels harder to fail–there’s always one more stranger left to bother. It’s the small, the weird, and the eager that will make or break you.

What’s the right mix for social networking?
Comment less, contribute more, retweet none. We need you to be generous, not Dan Rather.

Why are most marketing messages so dreadful?
Because marketing is an artifact of the industrial age, and the industrial age is about mass and volume and average stuff for average people, produced in bulk. Of course, once you have an assembly line in the works, you’re going to play it safe…

How can marketing and sales work more effectively together?
The Gordian knot disappears the moment marketing commits to making remarkable products that sales finds easy to sell.

Why are your responses so brief?
If I had worked less diligently on them, they would have been longer.

Note: Seth’s final response actually contains (in a hidden form) some of the best business advice on the planet: that it takes time and effort to create a pithy message.

9
DEC

entrepreneurship, management, marketing, sales

Kaufela Close Up!

Milli Jam and I decided to turn the tables on one of our co-presenters on the latest edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild and put George (above) in the chair as the Guest! It was not the first time he’s featured but it had been a long time since we heard from him and we felt our newer listeners should get some insight into George, his past and his ambitions. It was fascinating stuff! ‘The Experience’ is our weekly Sunday night radio show airing on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station, for an hour from 20.30 hrs CAT.

Milli Jam wanted to know how long George had been with Zambezi fm and how he came to be employed in the first place. George told listeners that he’d served for between four and five years. He had been on holiday in Livingstone and had been making some guest appearances at one of Livingstone’s other radio stations when he received a call from the then general manager of Zambezi fm, Chanda Mfula, who had asked him to come and audition with Zambezi fm. He had been successful, following which he was sent to SkyFM, another Southern Province radio station, for further training. George had worked for an organization called Africa Innovations before this lucky break. I offered the opinion on air that I was not surprised that he had been quickly snapped up by Zambezi FM as he had a natural radio voice – and he has!

“How long have you been singing”? Milli Jam asked, and George told our listeners that he had first started rapping in secondary school, covering hits by the likes of Snoop Dogg and others. He had recorded his first single in 2003 with Leo Muntu and subsequently had recorded about 12 singles. He rated the best of these as his new one ‘Enter Enter’ as well as another called ‘Your Smile’. He rated his best live shows as ones that had happened on the Copperbelt, Sesheke and one he had played across in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

The music on or show was good. We dropped tracks from Conor Maynard and Miley Cyrus (who else) at the top of the show. Before he knew he would be appearing as the guest George had chosen work from Exile as well as Mr Vezzy. Milli Jam played numbers from Justin Timberlake and Katy Perry. Our oldie of the week was Alicia Keys’ ‘Sleeping With A Broken Heart’ and the prize we give to the first listener to text us the name of the performing artist was quickly snapped up by Raphael amongst a flood of contestants. My pick of the week was James Blunt’s ‘Heroes’ and we closed with a track from The Saturdays.

Milli Jam referred to George’s recent bungee jumping exploits and asked if he had been scared. George replied that he had not, but that his Granny had been very frightened when he had shown her the video of the jump! Asked why he supported Liverpool football club, our guest did not give a satisfactory reply but told us that his favourite player was Steven Gerrard. We asked him how he managed to get up so early every morning to host the breakfast show and he said ‘you get used to it’!. He revealed that he would soon become an uncle as his sister was expecting a baby. He thanked Father Cletus from Radio Mosi-o-Tunya for the guidance he had given him in his early years of broadcasting.

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing in 10 years’ time, George told listeners that he would like to be highly successful in broadcasting and music, and would like to own his own radio station. We wished him the best of luck and thanked him for his service to our show!

17
OCT

activities, Africa, charities, communications, copperbelt, entertainment, entrepreneurship, livingstone, music, radioshow, recording, victoriafalls, zambezi, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Eazy Tee Rocks!

Despite our proximity to Zimbabwe we have had few, if any, Guests on the ‘Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George Kaufela Soulchild’ from our neighbouring country, so it was a pleasure to welcome ‘Eazy Tee’ (above, filming) aka Taurai Matsokotere on to the most recent edition of the show. The programme, sponsored by Chanters Lodge, airs on Zambezi 107.7 fm from 20.30 hrs CAT for an hour each and every Sunday night. Taurai is a highly rated DJ in the area with a wealth of international experience – on the side he’s also a graduate of Cape Town University and an entrepreneur in the world of graphic design.

Taurai told listeners that his company, based in Victoria Falls, Marvelworx Media, is involved in web hosting, print design, website design and television advertising. The company had initially been started up in Cape Town, but due to circumstances beyond his control he had been forced to return home to Zimbabwe and re-establish his business in his homeland. Milli Jam wanted to know how Eazy Tee had first become involved in the world of music, clubs and DJ’s and Taurai explained that he has many sisters and he had first begun playing tracks for parties at home. Impressively he also told us that he had paid his own way through University by playing at clubs in Cape Town. He told us of ‘Long Street’ in that city which has more than 60 clubs! He would play four clubs in one night in order to raise funds!

The music on our show was good, we opened with tracks from The Vamps and Fuse OMG. George played numbers from Zambian artists Chisamo and B’Flow. Milli Jam dropped tracks from Chris Brown and Naughty Boy. Our oldie of the week was the Dixie Chicks with ‘Travellin’ Soldier’ but it was a tough one, and no-one picked up the prize we give each week to the first person to text us with the name of the performing artist on the track. My pick of the week was Cher’s ‘I Hope You Find It’. We closed with Rihanna’s ‘What Now’ – amidst some studio amusement.

Milli Jam wanted to know what advice Taurai would give to aspiring, upcoming DJ’s (also telling us that he rated Eazy Tee in his top three all time DJ’s in the region – Milli Jam should know he’s been around the circuit and is highly rated himself). Eazy Tee told them to be careful with ‘Virtual DJ’ and that they should first learn the art of mixing with vinyl and CD’s before travelling the virtual route. He also told listeners that he is still single although ‘spoken for’ and that he has a 10 year old daughter Natasha Precious back in his home town Bulawayo. He had played clubs in more than 7 countries in the region and rated Circles in Ndola very highly in terms of audience reaction.

Eazy Tee told us that his own favourite music is soul and r and b and that he loves Mary J Blige and Tony Braxton. He had done the bungee jump and he had walked with lions. He liked cricket more than football. Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing in ten years’ time, Taurai told listeners that he had a newly established advertising company called Tradeazy and he hoped in ten years’ time the company would be hugely successful.

11
OCT

activities, Africa, art, broadcasting, education, entertainment, entrepreneurship, innovation, livingstone, marketing, media, radioshow, rsa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Connect Africa

Thanks to Gill Langmead from Langmead and Baker for this good article!

Zambia’s pioneering rural telecommunications equipment and solutions company, Connect Africa, officially opened its Lusaka office on July 26th paving the way for a roll-out of services across the region. The company has chosen Zambia as its hub, which it plans to use as the springboard from which to launch its low cost, entrepreneur driven, information and communications technology (ICT) services to rural communities across southern Africa.

“Connect Africa is pioneering a new model of service delivery that puts rural people in control of their communications needs,” explained Connect Africa Special Projects Director Dion Jerling. “We see Zambia as the leading example of how state-of-the art technology can be harnessed to connect remote communities to the mobile phone network, empowering them to develop their livelihoods as a result.”

Mr Jerling was speaking at the formal opening ceremony for the company’s new office in Leopard’s Hill, Lusaka attended by senior government officials, industry executives and other dignitaries. The company is aiming to connect rural communities to existing mobile networks through the deployment of innovative low cost base stations that enable rural communities to share in the mobile boom sweeping through Africa.

Connect Africa harnesses Africa’s entrepreneurial spirit and recent technology innovations and infrastructure to enable rural people and rural communities across Africa to improve their quality of life and economic well-being. Delivery of education, agriculture and health services, along with other public and private sector services to rural communities, will be enhanced by the new connectivity, which uses pioneering “low tower, low power” technology. This, combined with the Connect Africa Service Centre concept, will create jobs and enhance rural communities, as well as providing a tool for government to gather feedback on the effectiveness of its services.

The strategy is part of Connect Africa’s “impact enterprise” model that aims to leverage innovative communication technologies for socio-economic development across Africa and beyond. Key to the model are service centres at each base station, run by local entrepreneurs who are able to provide services such as internet access, phone charging and business services to the community.

The low-cost base stations also keep capital costs to a minimum, enabling construction to be funded through a revenue-sharing model based on income generation.

5
AUG

Africa, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, innovation, internet, Lusaka, marketing, Zambia

Alicia Rocks The Experience!

Meet Alicia and her mum Valerie Sutherland (pictured above), Guests on the most recent edition of ‘The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Kaufela’ – that’s our regular Sunday night radio show airing from 20.30-21.30 hrs CAT on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. At age nine, I think I’m right in saying that Alicia was the ‘youngest Guest ever’ to grace our show! Shy? No way! Mum Valerie appeared recently on a video with our very own Kaufela featuring Roberto on a track called ‘Good Woman’ – here’s the YouTube link if you’d like to watch. We played the track on the show and Alicia surprised us in the studio by knowing all the words of the song and rapping along! Great stuff. The cute little girl is a student at Musikili Primary School in Mazabuka, on an extended ‘holiday’ due to a recent operation to remove her tonsils.

Valerie told listeners that she had initially qualified in the tourism and hospitality sector following her education at St Mary’s Secondary School in Livingstone and had subsequently joined Bushtracks Zambia as an assistant manager in their activity centre at Sun International Hotels. During this time she undertook most of the available tourist activities including, to our surprise, the bungee jump! After a two year stint with Bushtracks she decided to branch out on her own and recently opened Bee Hive Cafe in Livingstone, (opposite Protea Hotel) – a trendy bar and night spot with a live band – Stag Vibration – at weekends. The Bee Hive has recently introduced a menu of Zambian speciality foods with a view to attracting tourists keen to sample our traditional dishes.

The music on the show was great, Kaufela coupled his track ‘Good Woman’ with T-Sean’s ‘Boza’ (lies). At the top of the show we featured Daft Punk’s ‘Lose Yourself To Dance’ back to back with ‘Heart Attack’ by Demi Levato. Milli Jam played tracks from Lawson ft B.o.B and Carly Rae Jepsen. Our oldie of the week was ‘Where Did Our Love Go’ by The Supremes, but no-one won the prize of a dinner for two at the lodge given to the first person to text us telling us the name of the performing artist. My pick was Stooshie’s ‘Slip’- fairly reminiscent of that Supremes track?

Valerie said that she’d written the lyrics to loads of songs and we urged her to start performing with the live band at The Beehive. She also told listeners that Alicia has a younger sister and, on being asked if her appearance with Kaufela on the video meant something deeper replied unsmilingly – ‘I am in a relationship’! We swiftly moved on! Music wise she said she likes tracks ‘with a good meaning in the message’ and that her favourite artist was Usher – she had recently been to one of his shows in Johannesburg which she had loved. She was not into football but was into motor sport especially F1. She admitted to enjoying a night out in a club once in a while and favoured East Point of the available night spots in Livingstone.

Asked where she would like to be and what she would like to be doing in ten years’ time, this young, vibrant ambitious entrepreneur said she hoped to be happy, healthy, wiser and thriving, going forward to meet her goals! We did not doubt it!

23
MAY

activities, Africa, Chanters, children, education, entertainment, entrepreneurship, food, livingstone, radioshow, restaurants, Zambia

Ron Jere – Contact Trust Youth Association

We have had occasion in the past to feature Contact Trust Youth Association (CTYA) on the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring Kaufela, our weekly Sunday night radio show on
Zambezi 107.7fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. We were, however, delighted to welcome Ronny Jere (pictured above), one of the Association’s pioneers and currently director and programme manager, on to our most recent edition. Ronny explained to listeners that the Association is a non-profit concerned with the good sexual health of young people in Livingstone, especially in connection with freedom from HIV Aids. It aims to encourage youth aged between ten and twenty four years to vote (if eligible) and to participate in government, as well as teaching young people job skills, economic empowerment and entrepreneurship.

Ronny said that the CTYA was formed some ten years’ ago out of the Cross Border Initiative now know as Corridors of Hope. Ronny had been inspired to start a youth group and hence CTYA was born.The Association’s offices are donated by Livingstone City Council in that they occupy council property rent free. There are eight full time employees. Ronny’s main job is to raise money for the programmes to be undertaken and to ensure that those resources are spent properly. He is also responsible for human resources management within the Association, including skills training. Some of the Association’s sponsors include or have included the South African Aids Trust and the German government.

The music on this particular show featured The Wanted, Rudimental ft Emile Sande, as well as Zambian artists Salma and Urban Hype. Milli Jam chose tracks from Lady Antebellum and Chris Brown. Our oldie of the week was Kriss Kross’s ‘Jump’ topical due to the untimely passing of Chris Kelly, one of the band. We were surprised that no-one won the prize we give each week to the first person to text us telling us the name of the artist on the track. We closed with Mafikizolo’s ‘Khona’ (Uhuru Mix) a very hot South African track.

Ronny told listeners that he is married and has three children including twins who have just turned three. “Naughty?” We wondered. “Very!” The reply. He owned up to supporting Man U, which we ignored but did say that his ‘real football team’ was the Zambian national team. That was ok! Ronny loves gospel, oldies, r&b and local music. He thanked Chanters Lodge for their sponsorship of the Association in the past and in thanking him we expressed our willingness to help again in the future if we could.

Asked where he would like to be and what he would like to be doing in ten years’ time Ronny said that as he would be moving out of the youth bracket during those years, he hoped to be serving the Zambian population at another level. Sounded like politics to us and we wished him all the best, thanking him for the great job his Association was doing for Livingstone’s youngsters!

10
MAY

Africa, charities, development, education, entertainment, entrepreneurship, health, livingstone, medical, music, radioshow, training, Zambia

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