By Maxwell Mapungwana
HARARE – Malawian church leader and entrepreneurship advocate Bishop Monica Tambalamatiki has urged Zimbabweans to embrace cooperative business models, saying collective investment and partnerships can unlock wealth creation and transform livelihoods across Africa.
Speaking during an entrepreneurship engagement in Zimbabwe organized by the Legal Builders Global Hub in Harare on Tuesday, Tambala Matiki said the era of operating businesses in isolation was over, calling on aspiring entrepreneurs to work together to build sustainable enterprises.
Tambala Matiki, who is based in Lilongwe and serves as Chair of the International Assemblies of God in Malawi, said her mission in Zimbabwe is to equip fellow Africans with practical strategies for achieving financial success.
”Our generation can do better. We can become the millionaires of our generation,” she said. “Gone are the days when we were doing business as loners. We need to do business as cooperatives because our friends and neighbours are also ladders to our success.”
She encouraged entrepreneurs to form business partnerships and cooperatives, arguing that collaboration allows individuals to combine resources, share risks and access larger markets.
According to Tambala Matiki, many aspiring entrepreneurs struggle because they have limited start-up capital, a challenge that can be overcome through collective investment.
”Sometimes one person has limited capital, but when several people pool their money together, they can start a bigger business,” she explained. “With bigger capital comes the opportunity to reach a bigger market.”
She said cooperative enterprises have the potential to significantly improve people’s economic prospects by enabling them to move from small-scale ventures to larger, more profitable businesses.
She expressed confidence that the approach would positively transform the livelihoods of Zimbabweans by creating opportunities for wealth creation, expanding market access and fostering a culture of mutual support.
In an interview, president of the Global Fellowship of Christian Chaplains and the National Chaplains Academy, Chaplain Dr. George Mapiki urged Zimbabweans to embrace lifelong learning, saying knowledge is one of the most powerful tools for personal and national transformation.
Speaking after attending one of Bishop Aderino Nyabanga’s empowerment seminars, Dr. Mapiki said he has been participating in the programmes for several years and has witnessed their positive impact on his life, ministry and business.
”I have been coming to these seminars for some time now, and I have found them to be very beneficial,” he said.
”The difference between the poor and the rich is often what they know and what they do not know. Knowledge empowers people to make better decisions and improve their lives.”
He said the lessons he has gained from Bishop Nyabanga have transformed his outlook and equipped him with practical skills that have strengthened both his spiritual calling and entrepreneurial pursuits.
He challenged the common belief that poverty is primarily caused by one’s background, arguing instead that a lack of knowledge is a major contributing factor.
”Most people are not poor because of where they come from. They are poor because they lack knowledge,” he said, citing the biblical passage, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,” to emphasise the importance of education and continuous learning.
Dr. Mapiki encouraged Zimbabweans to take advantage of every opportunity to attend Bishop Nyabanga’s seminars whenever they are held in their communities.
”I would like to encourage people across Zimbabwe that whenever they hear Bishop Nyabanga is coming to their town or city, they should make every effort to attend. The man is loaded with knowledge and has so much to offer that can help transform individuals and contribute to the development of our nation,” he said.
In his closing remarks, Legacy Builders Global Hub President and Founder, Bishop Dr Master Coach Aderino Nyabanga, said the event reinforced the importance of building meaningful networks in today’s business environment.
”The masterclass demonstrated that your network is your net worth. Strategic relationships create opportunities, credibility attracts partnerships, collaboration multiplies resources, and intentional networking opens doors to business growth, investment, influence, and sustainable wealth creation,” he said.
Throughout the seminar, delegates explored practical strategies for business growth, leadership excellence, collaboration, and wealth creation, he said.
Following the success of the event, Legacy Builders Global Hub announced plans to expand the Executive Business Masterclass programme to provinces, towns, cities, communities, churches, schools, universities, organisations, government institutions, and the corporate sector across Zimbabwe and beyond.
The initiative aims to equip more people with practical business skills and transformational leadership training, said Bishop Dr Nyabanga.
He also extended an invitation to companies, financial institutions, development partners, non-governmental organisations, churches, corporate bodies, investors, and other stakeholders to partner in delivering programmes designed to transform lives, strengthen businesses, create employment, and build thriving communities.
