Starting and Running a Business

As it is a norm, the NBIC hold entrepreneurship circles with the entrepreneurship students from the polytechnic of Namibia every year and it is no difference this year also they held their 1st session of the year on the 15th of Feb with the guest speakers of Mr Amos Shiyuka the Director of Mobipay, a mobile service provider in Namibia. Mr Shiyuka was born in the Copper town of Tsumeb in the Otjozondjupa region. He grew up there until the age of 15 when he later moved to Windhoek to attend his senior grades.

When he was growing up he use to make ice cubes and wire made cars and sell them in the street to make a living and pay for his school fees as his mother was able to provide f0r it. The idea of him becoming a business guru did not just come overnight, when he was still employed by the Mobile Telecommunication Company, he use to own 5 taxis and a shebeen but because he has always wanted to be an aspiring business man like he is today,he saved the little that he used to get from his businesses so that he would one day start a bigger business and create employment.

His dreams of becoming a business person did not only end there, in 2005 him and his colleagues started debating about other things that can be performed using a cellphone, not only smsing and calling. Since this was such a creative idea, he went further with it and started collecting thoughts and come up with a mobipay idea. In 2009 Mr Shiyuka applied for a licence to start his mobile payment business and it was approved the following year in August. Mobi Pay was launched the same year on the 21st of September.

While addressing the students, he stated out 8 keys factors that 1 should take note when thinking of starting a business: self awareness,positive self and group identity,situational awareness,plan B,future focus,discipline,social confidence and pro social connection.

According to him, starting Mobipay was not an easy thing and it is still not easy running it because it involves many of obstacles and challenges that hinders ones success. Mobi pay is still a small upcoming business that can make a u-turn anytime,so it still needs to be nurtured like a new born baby, but one needs to be determenant,focused and committed in order to succeed. His final words to the students were that, " Build your foundation with rocks that others are throwing at you and always remember that every foundation started with one brick".