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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts”.

This famous quote from former United Kingdom prime minister Winston Churchill has for years become an inspiration for most businesspeople across the globe.

It gives one the power to continue to do more until one achieves their goals.

Beitbridge Business Expo Chairperson, Dr Anna Muleya, who is also the proprietor of Lanaheil Investments is one of the people motivated by the zeal to excel at all costs.

Starting off with a barbershop in 1999, she has managed to build a big business empire together with her husband Hosea and has of late been scooping awards in recognition of her business acumen.

Dr Muleya, who has a passion to mentor and empower young entrepreneurs, recently got another accolade as the first runner-up (Businesswoman of the Year 2022) at an awards ceremony held by the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC).

“I got into business in 1999 with a modest barbershop at Living Waters Complex in Beitbridge town,” she said.

“This was after I realised that the community within the town and my son needed a barbershop with a steriliser, proper equipment, and a clean environment.

At that time, I was still employed as a controller by Allen Wack and Shepherd, a Customs Clearing Agency until I resigned in 2000, and became a full-time businesswoman.”

She said since then, her business empire started growing slowly to the present day.

Dr Muleya said she tried many projects and along the way, some were very successful and others failed and those became her life lessons.

In 2002, she pooled resources and founded Lanaheil Clearing Services together with her husband.

The company has become a force to reckon with in the freight forwarding sector.

“At its inception, I became the finance director and 50 percent owner until today. Both of us having been employed as clearing agents, this was our area of expertise,” she said.

“Lanaheil Clearing Services, which happens to be celebrating two decades of service this year, is a customs clearing and logistics company with its head office in Beitbridge and branches all over the country.

We handle imports and exports on all forms of transport, be it road, rail, air, or sea.

“We take care of all the required paperwork and assist in sourcing the appropriate transportation right up to the customer’s doorstep”.

She said the company has played a huge role in facilitating regional and international trade.

Dr Muleya said they had assembled a team of dedicated staff to make the shipping and forwarding of cargo and commodities seamless within the Sadc region.

“Our teams are made up of dedicated, experienced, and extremely knowledgeable members. We are committed to our customers and we always ensure that they get the directors’ personal attention,” she added.

The businesswoman said she was passionate about women and youth empowerment. She is mentoring a few young people in the town who are aspiring businesspeople and she also works with the youth in a number of their empowerment groups.

The youth in Beitbridge, Dr Muleya said, were well versed with her open-door policy and she will not tire in assisting them to find their feet in the cut-throat corporate world.

“At the moment, I am working in a partnership with one of the youths, Kudakwashe Garaipasi,” she said.
“We started a company called Essential Delights which is a baobab beverage manufacturing company, and one is proud that it employs 100% women.

Our products are doing very well on the market and with the help of ZimTrade we are well on the way to start exporting soon.”

Dr Muleya said she wished to see more youths grow into renowned businesspeople around Beitbridge and that she was seized with organising a business expo set to run on July 7 and 9 at Dulivhadzimu Stadium.

This, she said, was a platform for companies and small to medium enterprises to exhibit and market themselves to the Beitbridge and Musina communities.

-@tupeyo