African Business Stories
According to the World Bank, Africa is the only region in the world where more women than men choose to become entrepreneurs. African Business Stories is a platform created to give voice to the experiences of these audacious African women. It is your insight into female innovators and entrepreneurs building and running businesses in Africa.The power of seeing successful people that look like you can never be overemphasized and so we are taking hold of our narrative and telling our own stories in order to inspire and multiply success not only in Africa but around the world.
African Business Stories
Chipo Mabota: Founder & CEO Cooper & Jones Global Logistics - Breaking Barriers and Navigating New Frontiers
What if you could break barriers in a male-dominated industry while balancing the demands of single motherhood? This episode of African Business Stories brings you the compelling journey of Chipo Mabota, the founder and CEO of Cooper & Jones Global Logistics in Zimbabwe. From her initial hesitation about entrepreneurship to handling a groundbreaking $40 million full vessel cargo, Chipo's story is one of resilience and triumph. Listen as she recounts her early career experiences, her childhood dreams, and her love for Zimbabwe's serene environment.
Chipo candidly shares the hurdles she faced in gaining market acceptance and her strategic pivot from customs clearance and forwarding to becoming a truck owner. The episode highlights her transformative experience with the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs program, funded by the US Embassy and USADF, which played a pivotal role in her business expansion. We also celebrate her significant milestone of managing a national project with 593 trucks, a first for a female-owned business in Zimbabwe. Additionally, Chipo reflects on the dual impact of her success on her daughter and the critical role of partnerships and funding in her entrepreneurial journey.
For those interested in the broader logistics landscape in Zimbabwe, Chipo offers a detailed perspective on key trading partners and the importance of ethical business practices. She discusses her ambitious vision for global growth and her inclusive recruitment strategy aimed at empowering marginalized people through skills training. This episode is not just a story of business success; it's a testament to the power of perseverance and the unique charm of Zimbabwe, providing valuable insights and motivation for aspiring entrepreneurs. Don't miss out on Chipo's inspiring narrative and practical advice for women looking to make their mark in the business world.
Chipo has an MBA from the University of South Wales and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. She is a grantee of the 2019 Inaugural Cohort Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) funded by the U.S African Development Foundation (USADF) and in 2022 won the Women In Logistics (FFI-MEA) endorsed by UN Women. She was named Top 100 Most Influential African Women in Supply Chain in 2022 and top 50 CEOs in Zimbabwe by Zimbabwe CEOs Network in 2023.
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Hi there and welcome to another episode of African Business Stories. Africa is the only region in the world where more women than men choose to be entrepreneurs. What this says to me is that the story of business in Africa is the story of the African business woman. So we are on a journey of discovery to find these women and tell their stories. So we're on a journey of discovery to find these women and tell their stories. On the show, we will hear from female innovators and entrepreneurs building and running businesses in Africa. They will share the highs and lows of their entrepreneurial journey and lessons learned along the way. Some of these women you may know, and many you may not, but I assure you that all their stories are inspiring in their own right. My hope is that these stories will inspire you to reach for your dreams and leave a legacy for generations to come. It makes such a big difference to us if you can rate, review and share our episodes. You can do this mainly on Apple Podcasts, and you can find us on all podcast platforms If you're in Africa. Spotify is now available, so check us out there and don't forget to rate, review and share On the show.
Speaker 1:Today, I chat with Chipo Mbota, the founder and CEO of Cooper Jones Global Logistics, a customs clearance, forwarding and supply chain service company based in Zimbabwe. We talk about how she juggled working and studying full-time, and how she began her career in logistics. She explains how, being a single mom, she struggled internally with the idea of entrepreneurship but, in the end, took the leap of faith. Chippa went from clearing her first ship in 2018 to being the first female-led company in Zimbabwe to handle a full vessel cargo, a project worth almost $40 million in 2022. She describes this as a proud moment for the company and for her personally. Let's get into it. Chipo, welcome to African Business Stories.
Speaker 2:Hello Akego, I hope I pronounced your name right.
Speaker 1:You did. Welcome again. It's so great to be able to chat with you. You are my first guest from Zimbabwe. I'm not sure if you're aware, but one of the goals of our podcast is to interview at least one female entrepreneur from all of the 54 African countries, and you know you're my first one of one, my first from Zimbabwe. So super excited, super excited. Welcome again.
Speaker 2:Thank you, I'm honored and thank you for the opportunity.
Speaker 1:Great, just talking a bit about Zimbabwe before we move in. You know Southern African country and I know that you were born and raised in Zimbabwe and I was just wondering what are some things that you love about Zim, as you all call it.
Speaker 2:I think, first and foremost, the weather. We've got, I think, one of the best seasons in the world, I should say, because it's mostly sunny throughout the year. Our winters are cold, but no snow, so they're not extremely cold, so the weather is very good. And then I think the second issue I really like about Zimbabwe is just the peace. We are such a peace-loving nation. Has it always been that way? Well, I guess for as long as I can remember, even from childhood, yes, we are such a peace-loving nation. Even if you visit other countries and if you hear people talking about Zimbabwe, that's the first thing they tell you that you know, there's so much peace, the people are friendly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're just friendly people Talking about childhood. Do you have any fond childhood memories you can share with us?
Speaker 2:Yes, I'll speak about my journey in what we call primary school. I think it's called junior school. Yes, because we did not have a vehicle at home, so we used to walk to school. Okay, it wasn't a very long journey, but you know those walks to and from school with friends, talking, laughing, kicking stones on the way, picking up sticks it was just amazing. Those were good memories.
Speaker 1:And when you were young, what did you aspire to be when you you grew up?
Speaker 2:strangely enough, I wanted to be a flight attendant. Oh, yes, okay. And why? Well, I don't know why I didn't aspire to be a pilot. Um, I guess back then there were not too many female pilots, so I thought it was probably just a male industry. So I wanted to be a flight attendant because I had never been on a plane and I say to myself when I finished school, I will be a flight attendant and I'll fly around the world.
Speaker 1:That's interesting. Funny that today you're working in logistics, but we'll come to that, but that's interesting. So, coming on to college and the likes, I read that you studied and worked at the same time, so tell us a bit about that.
Speaker 2:Yes, after high school I did attend a college it's called Spaces College here in Narare. This is where I was born. This is where I live. I've always lived in Narare. It's the capital city of Zimbabwe. I did get a job. There's a company called CEMAS Medical Aid. That was my first job and I used to work at CEMAS and it's a medical aid company and in the evenings I would go for my lessons at Spaces College.
Speaker 2:And I must say, something really interesting happened at CMAS, which now, when I look back, I see how probably my journey started, how maybe I wasn't. I'll use the word ordinary from the onset, because whilst there we are a department for what they call state registered nurses, being a medical aid organization, they employ a number of nurses. But I was not a nurse, I just finished my high school but because of my work ethic I got promoted. Alongside there were two guys who were also not nurses. Promoted alongside there were two guys who were also not nurses. So the three of us we got promoted from the department we were working in to go and work in a department that was solely for nurses. I ended up being interested, you know, in the medical field. Sadly I didn't pursue it. But for somebody who was non-medical to be in that kind of department, it did say a lot about the three of us.
Speaker 1:So how did you come to choose purchasing and supply as a program to study in university? I've never heard that as a course, you know, so it's interesting that it even exists. But how did you come to choose that as what to study?
Speaker 2:Okay, so when you do purchasing and supply, the goal is to become we call it a buyer or a procurement person. So now, after high school, I thought, hmm, maybe it was something that was fairly new in the country. Fairly new, it had been here for a couple of years but very few people were embarking on it. So I thought it didn't hurt to be amongst the few, especially women. I think in my class we were amongst the first 15 women in the country to embark on such a program. Yes, so I thought it was an opportunity after completion where I would go in the industry, become a procurement person and take it from there. But I think, as you see my journey as we go, I really did major in that.
Speaker 1:So how did you then get into logistic as a career?
Speaker 2:Okay, so, if I recall, there's an organization called Celebration Health where I was employed as a logistician. Celebration Health is the I'll call it the NGO arm of a church called Celebration Church Celebration Ministries. This is where I attend. So, being a logistician there, I was in charge of the warehousing. They used to receive containers from the States.
Speaker 2:We were going through a period in Zimbabwe where there was a cholera outbreak, so the church would receive donations for some cholera packs, food packs, and I was responsible for the warehousing and distribution of those goods. So this is when I also got introduced to the movement of containers across the borders. Who would engage a clearing agent. Then they were responsible for the clearance, would engage a transporter and would move the containers to the warehouse where they take over. So I really found it to be quite interesting and exciting and now that procurement knowledge that I had was now coming to the fore, because purchasing and supply is talking about the whole supply chain. So what I'd learned and what was just theory was now being implemented to be practical. So I just realized this is where I belong, because it was a passion and I really enjoyed it. Yes.
Speaker 1:So you worked in multiple other places, staying in this line of logistics. How did you see that sector evolve as you climbed up the career path?
Speaker 2:I think as I was growing up I started to realize the immense opportunities. Initially I was tunnel visioned because I thought, okay, it's just the receiving of the goods in the warehouse, in the distribution. I'd limited knowledge of the whole industries, so to speak. But as I was going up I was now being introduced to things like forwarding, where you're responsible for the movement of the cargo from source. For example, if the container is coming from China or the States, you're responsible from the source to destination.
Speaker 2:So now that whole chain, how complex it is, the different parts that need to come in place. It then became so exciting and so eye-opening because there are certain things we would take for granted. For example, we would get an agent at the port, port of Beira, which is our nearest port to Zimbabwe. We are landlocked as a country, so we use the Beira port in Mozambique. So you would think, when a container or when a vessel arrives at the port, they just discharge the vessel, get the container and off to Zimbabwe. But there are so many parts, so many moving parts that need to be aligned for that to happen. So, like you said, as I was climbing up I started to understand and also just embrace the complexities of the industry.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean I was going to ask about the closest port because I knew that Zimbabwe was landlocked. So are there any language barriers? Mozambique is Portuguese. Are there any language barriers in your line of work, or do you have people who speak Portuguese on your team?
Speaker 2:Funny enough, I think. As they say, africa, we are one, it's just the borders that separate us, because when you do go to Mozambique, you can speak Shona, and they can understand you, but of course they'll probably speak with an accent, but you can actually converse, okay, yes, so the language barriers are very minimal, especially at Bay Report.
Speaker 1:So at what point, then, did you start thinking about wanting to start your own business?
Speaker 2:I think when I was now in management at management level, I then decided you know, I've got a vision as a person on what I thought I needed to see things run. So it's difficult really when you're supporting somebody's vision vis-a-vis pursuing your own vision. So I think that was the point I decided maybe it's time to now pursue my own vision as Chipo.
Speaker 1:And so what steps did you take and how long was this process from ideation to stepping out?
Speaker 2:It took quite a while, because it's a huge step. Don't know if I mentioned that I'm a single mom. So because of that, you've got a lot of fears, because you're used to um an income at the end of the month, which you know is definitely coming. So this other direction would take you to a place where maybe things won't work out. And now, with the daughter that you're raising, if things don't work out, it's not with a daughter that you're raising, if things don't work out, it's not just about you. So I had a lot of battles within me, but eventually I decided to take the leap of faith.
Speaker 1:So you start this company in 2016 and, at the same time, you decide to do an MBA. Correct, what was that experience like? You're a single mom, you're raising your daughter, you're starting a business and you're doing an MBA all at the same time.
Speaker 2:Okay. So bear in mind when you're starting something as big as a company and you have a big vision for it, you're not going to wake up today and boom, you've got an office, you've got staff and you've got a company running. It starts with the registration, the paperwork and all that. So I remember I actually had a lead time of almost nine months after registration to get the documents to become a clearing company.
Speaker 2:So all that you know, that waiting period and there are a lot of dynamics that will be coming into play before one finally settles and says, okay, now we are starting business. So I can say 2018, that's when I cleared my first shipment.
Speaker 1:Okay, yes, so what was the MBA process like and why did you feel the need to do an MBA?
Speaker 2:I think, the need to grow. I was feeling a bit stunted and I thought well, academically that is. So I felt maybe let me embark on a master's program and also see if it ties in with my vision of, you know, just trying to run my own entity. And what was because you did it remotely.
Speaker 1:Yes, I did. Okay, and what was that experience like?
Speaker 2:I would never even tell my worst enemy to try it. It's crazy. I had no social life, no friends, nothing, no weekends. No, nobody should do it.
Speaker 1:Sorry, I should be marketing my college, but it paid off in the end.
Speaker 2:Oh, it did. It just needs a lot of dedication. I think once you embark on it, you need to be certain you're not going to go back. You just have to be dedicated and push through. Yes, you will enjoy the rewards Definitely, definitely. And push through. Yes, you will enjoy the rewards Definitely, definitely.
Speaker 1:So you finish your MBA and then your company is all set up. So tell us how the name came about, and then you can go into the work that you started doing initially.
Speaker 2:So, on registration, as I was doing, my vision board, my objectives and everything that I needed for that business, I say to myself I need a name that resonates with the international market, because I'm not doing or I'm not starting a company for Zimbabwe, but it's a global company. So I want a name that, whatever continent that I go into, you know it just resonates with that place.
Speaker 1:So tell us about the vision you had starting. It seems like it was like go big or go home. That seemed like your goal from the jump. So what was your vision when you set out to start Cooperoupon Jones?
Speaker 2:Okay, right. So from the get, go, like you rightfully said, it was go big or go home, sink or swim. And I decided I'm going to swim and I'm going to swim a marathon. Whatever I'm establishing is not just for me, but it's for my daughter, my daughter's children and their children, so it's a generational company that I'm setting up. So, with that in mind, I had a lot of forces that I had to look at so that I was able to then make, or rather have, a foundation for such an entity that I was trying to build.
Speaker 1:Years of experience. You have this MBA under your belt. You have a good sense of how to run the business, what the market is like. What challenges did you face going in?
Speaker 2:Right. The number one challenge was gender based. This logistics industry in Zimbabwe, and I think in most parts of the world, is very much male dominated. So before I went into the trucking business, which we'll talk about later, I was mainly doing the clearance and the forwarding. So to get the market to accept me, they accepted Chippo, who was working for Sorenso. Now for them to accept me as Chippo who is running this entity, it was really hard, um, but I just want to say kudos to those who believed in me and they gave me a chance.
Speaker 1:Yes, you started off doing clearing and forwarding and then you now started to expand. The business was trucking. The next, the next level up from clearing and forwarding.
Speaker 2:Yes, Tracking came in and I don't want to say it was by default, because it was also through some work that I did. I was part of a program called Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, which is a brainchild of the US Embassy and sponsored by USADF. So I remember I backed on it in 2019. You know, I just saw it on Facebook where they sent out calls for this program. I thought, oh well, why not? Then boom, yes, yes, I was selected to to be part of the ladies who were attending in zimbabwe. They chose a hundred ladies to attend the program out of over 900 applicants. It was the first cohort.
Speaker 2:Then, a couple of months later, I was fortunate to be among the seven grantees in Zimbabwe and with my grant I had indicated that I wanted to buy a wallage truck because I had seen that, as a clearing company, you would feed the supply chain better by having a one-stop shop where the containers that you're going to clear you're going to carry them with your own truck. So even for marketing, it makes the client at ease because everything is now being done under one roof. So I did buy my first truck with the grants and from that day I said I'm not stopping Again. Kudos to USAIDF, American Embassy for that opportunity.
Speaker 1:That's fantastic. They're doing an amazing job on the continent, I must say, you know, in shoring up and filling the funding gap that exists for small, medium-sized enterprises. So, yes, kudos to them. You know, and I also read, that not only were you able to buy the truck, but you saw a significant increase in your revenue from that. I did.
Speaker 2:Like I said, the moment you go and pitch for work and they would ask, ok, so do you have trucks? That says yes, but then we would be honest enough to say we also work with partners who give us their trucks that we run, but in that fleet we also have our own truck, because we bought the first truck. Then, I'm sure, the following year, we bought two more trucks, so now we had three, and a year later we had two more to make them five. So we were growing. And I remember there's this one project that I always want to talk about In 2022, it was a national project where we cleared.
Speaker 2:In total, there were 593 trucks that we moved from Beira Port to a place called Wange here in Zimbabwe, and we were also in charge of clearing the whole vessel at the port. We were in charge for clearing the cargo at the border post. This is a feat that had never been done by a wholly female-owned business. So we actually made it in Zimbabwe, which was such a proud moment for us as Cooper and Jones, and for myself, as Chippo you know to to have done such um also for the nation so, yeah, I did read about it and I was going to to ask you about it and to congratulate you on on that.
Speaker 1:You know it's funny. You were talking about wanting to be an air hostess because you hadn't seen female pilots. It's important that we demonstrate what success looks like, that we position ourselves in places that young girls can see and can aspire, like young girls can aspire to be vice president or president because of other women, and so women can. Young girls can look at you and say I can own a global trucking company. I can own a global logistics company. So kudos to you, kudos to you on that and just talking about that being a single mom and building all of this and I'm just wondering how this has impacted your daughter, who has watched you grow and evolve and succeed.
Speaker 2:I must say it's been positive and negative. Positive in the sense that she's being inspired as a woman to work hard and she's seen the fruits of that hard work. But I think I would say negative in the because I feel sometimes she really pushes herself so much because at the back of her mind she's saying I want to be like mommy, or I want to supersede what mommy has achieved. So she tries so hard, you know, just to be the best at whatever she's doing. Sometimes I tell her you know what? I'm not a super mom, even at work. I'm not a super mom, even at work. I'm not. I'm not a super boss. There are things that I also fail to do. But she just sees this epitome of a woman who works out in the chiefs and that's why I say it's probably good and bad.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, so Chipo in in terms of funding. I know that there was the grant from USADF back in 2019. But just in terms of fundraising, what has that been like for your business?
Speaker 2:We have only been fortunate to receive that one grant, and we have not received any other funding. Not that we're also looking for it at the moment. No, but yeah, we were just trying to see how we could grow our business, as you know, just as Cooper and Jones, to see what we could do.
Speaker 1:And you talked about partners before. So what kind of partnerships do you engage in in the region?
Speaker 2:Okay, so I'll start on the trucking side, because we do not have such a huge fleet. So we've partnered with various transporters where, if we get big contracts, we subcontract their trucks to ferry the loads. Then we've also partnered with a company at the ports, both in Durban Durban Port, south Africa and at Beira Port for the warehousing where, if clients require some warehousing services, we can also provide that. Yes, so those are the major partnerships that we have entered into.
Speaker 1:Okay, and are those the two main ports that service Zimbabwe?
Speaker 2:Yes, those are the two main ones. We also have Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, but it's a bit further so it doesn't really bring in much traffic. And we also have Welvis Bay in Namibia. That one also doesn't bring in much traffic, but here and there you get a few cargo coming in. Yes, where?
Speaker 1:where is zimbabwe importing most things from? Who are your main trading partners?
Speaker 2:I think well, I wouldn't want to speak for the organization called zip trade were in charge of this, but from the top of my head, I think we are getting quite a bit of stuff from china. Why do I say so? Because, well, I guess the containers that I move, I just hear they're coming from China. So I believe, and I think India as well, I think is also getting quite a bit of stuff. Then we've got South Africa. That's our best trading partner in the region.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we've talked about the imports. What about exports? What kind of work do you do on that side, the export side?
Speaker 2:Cooper and Jones. We are very big on the exports of minerals. I think that is one of our biggest areas really. So most of the exports we do, they go via Bayeraport. Yes, so minerals are the big thing right now for us.
Speaker 1:So what is the business environment like for women generally in Zimbabwe?
Speaker 2:I can say probably like anywhere else.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of push that you need to make as a woman. I think somebody said to me you know what you need to work twice as hard just because you're a woman. But I feel the men I'll speak for my industry they're also starting to realize that you know, these women can also make it. They can do it. So I can say it's getting better. But we just need more women to keep pushing and to get our voices heard. I'm sure we will have a seat at the table.
Speaker 1:So what do you think the next five years looks like for you, Chipo? I see growth.
Speaker 2:I see great opportunities for Cooper and Jones. Why do I say so? We have also embarked on I don't want to call it a program we have also embarked on I don't want to call it a program, but it's an initiative where we were registered on the Ethics First website. This Ethics First is an initiative of an organization called Center for International Private Enterprises where they are lobbying for compliance and integrity in businesses. So at Cooper Jones we have said we want to be compliant, we want to be integrous in all our dealings and because of that I'm seeing it also as a springboard to better and bigger doors for the business. Hence I said in five years time I'm sure we are going to be such a powerhouse.
Speaker 1:That's fantastic. And so when you say growth, is this growth in Zimbabwe, in the SADC region, you know what does that kind of growth look like?
Speaker 2:This is global growth, this is global Wow, yes, yes.
Speaker 1:In wrapping up, I normally ask my guests to reflect and to give advice. So, in terms of reflection, what would you say has been one or two of the most impactful things that you have achieved in building this business, this global business, in Zimbabwe?
Speaker 2:I think the first one will be when I did my recruitment right, I decided to give people a chance who probably didn't fit in to the requirements. Really, why did I take that route? I felt I needed to give people a chance because before I had been to interviews and I was rejected and I knew how it felt. You know, sometimes you needed something so badly but you'd get rejected. So when I started Cooper and Jones I said I'm going to try and get people not in the technical roles especially for clearing, that's more technical. You need people who really know. But for the other positions I decided to take people who I felt maybe very few would give them a chance. So that's one thing that I did.
Speaker 1:Then also.
Speaker 2:I remember I think it was it was 2020, 2021. At Cooper and Jones, we identified 10 marginalized women who were coming from very poor backgrounds. They live in a township here in Harare, one of the poorest townships in Harare. So we identified them and we took them for training on how to make reusable pads so that they'll be able to feed their families. These women are single women. I've got a heart for single women because I know the struggles, so we decided to give them an opportunity where they would learn that and just go out there in the marketplace and take care of their families.
Speaker 1:So, finally, there are many women out there who are building businesses. You have a heart for women too, and I wondered if you could give one piece of advice to other women building businesses in Africa. What advice would that be?
Speaker 2:I think what I would like to say is ladies, never give up. You know giving up shouldn't be part of your vocabulary. Pivot, yes, but don't give up. You keep pushing. I promise you one day that door will open I love it, pivots, but don't give up.
Speaker 1:Yes, thank you so much. This has been a great conversation, thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for listening. If you you're not already subscribed, please do so on Apple, spotify or wherever you get your podcast, and don't forget to leave us a review so we know how we're doing. I'm Akego Okoye and you have been listening to African Business Stories.