The ability of Sassda to boost entrepreneurial development in the African stainless steel market is clearly illustrated by the success of Zambian Inventor Arnold Nyendwa who as a result of his win at the 2018 Sassda Columbus Stainless Awards, is now poised to open his first production facility thanks to a R1.4M grant from the Zambian Ministry of Youth and Sport.
This stems from his invention of the Juvin Stainless Steel Cooking unit that is able to perform seven cooking functions; cooking, baking, frying, roasting, drying and warming and provides clean energy by minimizing the amount of firewood and charcoal required for these processes.
The R1.4M grant from the Zambian Ministry of Youth and Sports is a massive boost to Nyendwa’s plans to establish a production facility in Lusaka for his stainless steel stove.
Looking back at his path to success, Nyendwa says some of the biggest challenges he faced include the fact that he was a full-time student when he first started out, so it was difficult to complete his studies and run a business at the same time. He also struggled to find a local role model and mentor to guide and assist him.
Fortunately, Sassda has been instrumental in assisting him with the establishment of his business and he has found the mentorship of Sassda Western Cape Regional Manager Michel Basson, invaluable in this regard.
Nyendwa plans to gain representation across the SADC region in the next five to seven years via a network of sales agents and back this with exports to Zambia’s eight neighbouring countries.
Nyendwa is also looking to develop opportunities in the Indian and Chinese markets.
