From primary school dropout to hotel owner

When Vincent Ndamage dropped out of school in standard eight, little did his father know that his son would one day be a millionaire owning several businesses including a hotel.
Ndamage owns Mogasa House in Lilongwe which houses a hotel, a restaurant and a bar.
Ndamage dropped out of school three times and thrice his concerned father dragged him back to class.
Born in Gitaraba, Rwanda, Ndamage had always aspired to be an entrepreneur because the thought of waiting for the end of the month to get paid did not appeal to him.
Says Ndamage: “I always had arguments with my father when it came to school because I thought I could do better as a businessperson than an employee. Many people who went to school in my area were not as successful, hence, my decision to drop out. The last time I was forced to go to school was the last term of standard eight but I never returned home and trekked to Kigali where I started vending.”
Having noted that Ndamage was missing, his father searched for him until he found him at Kigali’s main market and he reluctantly let Ndamage concentrate on his passion.
He started selling fruits such as tomatoes, oranges, pineapples and carrots from which he made a healthy profit. Within three years of vending, Ndamage had managed to buy a pick up and opened a large garden where he was growing vegetables and fruits.
“That was the turning point in my life because I was supplying to top people in Kigali including ambassadors and I managed to build big shops and houses. I also acquired 40 cars but all this was undone when the civil war broke out in 1994 and I was forced to flee the country,” he says.
After leaving Rwanda he went to the Democratic Republic of Congo where he stayed for six months and then Kenya where he spent three years before heading to Brussels, Belgium.
“Life was very tough in Belgium because I had to do all kinds of jobs including collecting plates in restaurants, assisting in garages and even cleaning streets. But since God was with me I persevered until I had saved enough.
“I started visiting Malawi from 2003 where I saw that there was potential in tourism sector, hence my decision to build Mimoza Hotel,” says Ngamage.
In partnership with his two brothers, Ndemange has also opened Waka Waka Hotel along the M1 Road near Bunda Roadblock.
As a sign that business is thriving, Ndamage has also opened the Mimosa African Restaurant at the Game Stores complex where African cuisine is a must try for all who love organic African foods.
“I want people to eat African food because it is the best. Our prices are competitive and the place is convenient even for families because it is very spacious. I even have three plasma screens to entertain my customers and I must say business is flourishing,” says Ndamage.
Married with two kids, Ndamage says he wants to open a new restaurant in Lilongwe because he prefers owning assets over keeping cash.
“This business is like my job. My only worry is that there are a few trained waiters, barmen and even cashiers but we still do with what we can and the sky is the limit,” says Ndamage.