By Staff Reporter
AT just 40 years of age, Rinos Mautsa has emerged as a shrewd businessman, overseeing multi-million-dollar enterprises within and outside the country.
Having shown early shoots of entrepreneurship at a young age, Mautsa has established several business ventures, such as the Contact Experience Association of Zimbabwe (CXAZ), formerly CCAZ, and PICCO Construction, among others.
His humble and calm demeanour belies the success and scale that his businesses have achieved over the years in Zimbabwe’s challenging economic environment.
NewZimbabwe.com (NZ) caught up with Mautsa (RM), who described his journey and how his businesses have managed to stay afloat despite turbulence.
NZ: Can you walk us through your professional background?
RM: I have always been an entrepreneur at heart, inspired by my mother, whom I assisted in selling farm produce at a young age. While in college, I launched a movie business through a deal with my university, which ignited my passion for entrepreneurship.
During my industrial work experience, I started a condiments buying and selling business that eventually grew to the point of exporting to Zambia. After college, I briefly worked at Telecel, TelOne, and Zuva Petroleum in various managerial roles.
The leaders at TelOne and Zuva greatly influenced my development as a manager and leader, and I am grateful for their mentorship. My wife, who is also my business partner, has played a significant role in my journey. I am a firm believer in God, and I recognise that I wouldn’t be where I am today without His mercy.
QN: Walk us through how you launched your businesses and what inspired the journey.
RM: I started my first business while in college by seizing a unique opportunity to run a movie venture. This experience taught me the importance of innovation and calculated risks. On industrial attachment at Dairibord, I started buying and selling condiments from work and exporting to Zambia.
My condiments business later flourished, allowing me to reinvest and explore further opportunities in education and technology, which ultimately led me to energy and the construction and real estate sectors, where I recognised significant potential to do much more across Africa.
QN: What has managed to sustain your firms in this difficult economic environment?
RM: Our resilience is rooted in our commitment to quality and innovation. We embrace learning and quickly adapt to change. By identifying the critical need for housing and infrastructure in Zimbabwe, we have focused on developing clusters and high-rise flats that maximise space and align with market demands. This strategic focus has enabled us to thrive even in challenging economic conditions.
QN: You have expanded outside of the country. How has that experience been, and how are the firms performing abroad?
RM: Expanding beyond Zimbabwe has been a rewarding experience, allowing us to tap into new markets and diversify our portfolio. Our firms abroad are performing well as we adapt our strategies to local needs while maintaining the high standards we’ve established. The Chartered Institute of Customer Management is now operating in 13 countries across Africa.
QN: Your portfolio spans construction (Picco), education, energy, and more. How do you identify opportunities across such diverse sectors, and what’s your strategy for scaling them?
RM: Identifying opportunities across diverse sectors requires a keen understanding of market dynamics and trends. My previous work experience informs many of my ventures.
I focus on thorough research and analysis to pinpoint market gaps. My strategy for scaling involves building strong partnerships, nurturing relationships, leveraging technology, and maintaining a customer-centric approach to meet the evolving needs of our clients.