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This created gaps in the industry that needed to be filled, but very few entrepreneurs saw these opportunities as they trekked North, East, West and South in search of greener pastures as it were.
Invariably, starting a business under these conditions was not for the faint hearted. One had to be brave to achieve success.
Basically, success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.

In the midst of all the doom and gloom, a few patriotic Zimbabweans decided to put their country first buy sticking it out and making the best of the situation.
One such entrepreneur was Colonel Christopher Mutonhori Rwodzi.
He is one of the few Zimbabweans who saw opportunities in the midst of the myriad of economic challenges and was brave enough to enter into business.
Today, he sits at the helm of Mugandani Enterprises, which trades as Muga Foods, a household name in the milling industry.

Asked why he started a new business during the hyper-inflationary environment, Col Rwodzi said he saw opportunities when everyone was chickening out and closing shop.
“We have a duty to play as patriotic Zimbabweans, to spur development and feed the nation and during that time it was time to be courageous and drive the national agenda,” he said.
The business started off as a mere commodity broking firm before branching into milling and food processing.
The company has grown from strength to strength since its inception and is now competing against the traditional giants in the industry.

Muga Foods is involved in commercial flour and maize milling. The mills process wheat into cake flour used in the confectionery industry and maize meal for local consumption.
Col Rwodzi said the business managed to takeoff after securing a US$250 000 loan from CBZ Bank and an additional US$350 000 from the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe.
He said the financial boost was welcome but there is still need to further recapitalise the business.
He took a swipe at financial institutions, which are not willing to extend long-term credit facilities to industries.

“It takes 21 days to transport maize from Russia to reach Beira corridor and the bank is offering a three months facility, that does not work. Banks are not giving us the space to make the money.
“We cannot grow an economy when banks are behaving like this,” he said.
He also lamented the serious influx of cheap imports coming from Turkey, South Africa, Mozambique and Zambia.
However, despite all this, Col Rwodzi believes that the sky is the limit, as he has got expansion plans in mind.
During the second half of next year, Muga Foods is expected to open a new plant in Bulawayo with a milling capacity of 5 000 tonnes to service the southern region of the country.

A similar plant with similar capacity would be built in Mutare to take care of the market in the eastern part of the country.
Currently, the company’s Southerton plant is producing 5 000 tonnes of flour per month – making it the third largest milling company in the country.
The company operates from self-owned premises therefore they do not have headaches of rent and expiring leases.

They also have a fleet of 10 trucks and 35-ton trailers enabling them to make deliveries cheaper and conveniently.
In a bid to increase supply of raw materials, Muga Foods will, this year in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union, enter into contract for wheat growing.
This will empower local farmers with inputs while the company is assured of wheat supplies.

The company imports wheat from South Africa or acquires from suppliers who import from Germany and Brazil. Local wheat is in short supply hence the need to import. After opening a new plant in Bulawayo and Mutare and successfully creating synergies with wheat farmers, Col Rwodzi said he would consider plans to list the company on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange.
Going forward, Col Rwodzi is seeing his business expanding into the region. His company was recently invited by the Angolan Government to take up a 49 percent stake in a milling joint venture.

Born in 1970, Col Rwodzi started his primary education in Mvuma and went up grade four before moving to Harare to complete his primary education at Highlands Junior School.
He then enrolled at Prince Edward School for his secondary education and completed his Cambridge Ordinary Level in 1988 and attested into the Zimbabwe National Army in 1989.
Col Rwodzi was trained at Mbalabala School of Infantry.

The military is known for its discipline and principals and this is where Col Rwodzi started sharpening his entreprenuarship skills guided by handwork and the “never give up concept.”
“In the army we were taught how to tackle problems, not to give up and our motto was ‘no retreat no surrender’ and we also learnt that if there is a problem it has to be solved,” said Col Rwodzi.

Business traits run in his blood as his father operated a number of shops in most parts of the country mainly in Mvuma where the family was based.
He said his father, like any father was very strict and wished him to be self-sufficient.
After leaving the army in 1993 Col Rwodzi joined the family business on a fulltime basis.

When he got married Col Rwodzi decided to wean himself from the family business.
The strength of marriage helped him succeed in business and the old age adage ‘behind every successful man there is a woman’, proved true to him as his wife Babra has been the pillar behind his success.

Col Rwodzi said his wife, who is also the co-owner of the company was and is supportive of the vision and mission of the company.
Babra is the financial director of the company and holds a degree in Business Studies.

She is currently studying towards a Masters in Business Administration with a reputable institution, Nottingham University.
She was the recipient of the 2009 Businesswoman of the Year award.