Mfundvo Kingsley Dlamini’s avocado business marked the genesis of his entrepreneurial journey and ultimately the launch of his marketing and communications agency.
Mfundvo is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Photon Media, a Marketing and Communications Agency based in Mbabane in Eswatini.
Before participating in the YALI program, Mfundvo had already established an agency called Ultimate Creative Digital Marketing and Communications, a business specialising in web and software development, digital signage advertising, fashion branding, music business management, and digital marketing. He applied to the YALI program to improve his business acumen and his understanding of entrepreneurship to grow his company.
“I applied to the program because I felt l had reached a stage in my business where l needed to grow beyond my immediate community and tap into opportunities presented by the 4th Industrial Revolution driven by technology, innovation and science.”
Mfundvo’s entrepreneurial journey is rather unusual but also a testament to the tremendous success, unrelenting commitment and passion to a cause can yield. He started his digital marketing and communications agency from money he saved up from selling avocados on his Facebook account.
“After graduating from high school in 2017, like many young people in my country, I was faced with the bleak prospect of high unemployment and a bleeding economy that is unable to generate sufficient jobs. I decided to start selling avocados on my Facebook page and was overwhelmed with the positive response I got from my Facebook friends.”
Mfundvo says within 6 months, he had saved up enough capital, approximately $200.00 to start a business and register it with the government. This marked the genesis of his entrepreneurial journey and ultimately the launch of his marketing and communications agency.
“When I got accepted into the YALI program, I was quite clear on what I wanted to get out of the fellowship and worked extra hard to achieve it. My participation in the YALI program led to significant changes in the way I conducted and saw my business. Besides creating solid networks with fellows in my cohort who kept me motivated, I was able to redesign and repurpose our business model. I found the Business Canvas and Human Design Thinking sessions particularly helpful in understanding how our business operates and what needs to be done to accelerate growth and improve revenue.”
Mfundvo says he has remained in contact with fellows in his Cohort. Some became personal friends and a great support team. Mfundvo is using his skills to develop marketing content for small businesses in Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Zambia as a result of a contact he met through a YALI alumni from Zimbabwe.
His avocado business registered exponential growth as well. His avocado business supplies fresh avocados to supermarkets and local stores in his community. He is also working on a partnership that will see him supply OK stores in the lowveld and plans are underway to export to Mozambique through a YALI contact. “If we can agree on favorable terms, I will be exporting avocados to Mozambique, taking advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) that is designed to boost African businesses and create strong regional value chains.”
As demand for the fruit continues to grow, Mfundvo added 4 more households as local suppliers to source avocados from. Wandile, who supplies Mfundvo with an avocado brand called Hall, had the following to say about their partnership “The partnership I have with Mfundvo has enabled me to take care of my family and pay school fees for my children. I hope our partnership grows so we all win.”
