Making a living from curios

When people say Malawi is the warm heart of Africa, they probably include beautiful things such as curios that some entrepreneurs sell in different cities and districts.

Mphatso Tafali, 30 and 29-year-old Fanizo Matukuta are among Malawian vendors who are on the driving seat of curio business in Lilongwe.

The two are business partners in Gift Curio Investment which deals in curios outside Lilongwe Post Office.

The business was set up by Tafali in 2003 with a capital of K10 000. Later, Matukuta joined the venture by topping up the capital.

Gift Curio Investment is a one stop place as it offers curios of different types including elephants, rhinos, wooden salad spoons, necklaces, paintings and drums.

“I decided to start my own business because I realised that I can easily increase my chances of living a successful life. Entrepreneurship has made me my own boss because I manage myself,” said Tafali.

Tafali said since Matukuta joined the business, they have been supporting each other improve their business.

“We buy these curios fom different districts such as Nsanje, Chikhwawa, Balaka and Salima. We make considerable profit that’s why we are able to survive in the city. This business is better than some of the white collar jobs in terms of money we make,” said Matukuta.

Tafali said he is able to pay school fees for his children and has managed to build a house using the money he earns from selling curios.

Both Tafali and Matukuta dropped out of school at secondary level but they encourage young people to pursue education with diligence.

“We did not go far with education because of some challenges, but we did not allow this setback to hinder us from having meaningful lives. Those that dropped out of school can still succeed in other ways.

“But we encourage our children and other young people to work hard in school because education makes entrepreneurship easier,” said Matukuta.

Looking into the future, the duo eyes the international market as a way of expanding the business, although they note that the market is saturated with curios.

“There are many Malawians who are exporting curios and this is somehow pulling this business down because even some tourists buy the curios in other neighbouring countries.

“But we still want to venture into the international market…we will face our competitors and succeed,” said Matukuta.