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Rejoice Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
HIS love for chemistry resulted in a Bulawayo university dropout falling in love with the process of manufacturing paint.
Mr Milton Manda, a 32-year-old man from Paddonhurst suburb dropped out of a University in South Africa in 2014 where he was studying law online to become a full-time entrepreneur.

A product of Milton High School, Mr Manda started his entrepreneurship journey by importing paint from South Africa for reselling in the city centre until he decided to manufacture his own paint in 2020.

When his main supplier in South Africa closed shop and went to the United Kingdom, Mr Manda saw an opportunity to start his own paint manufacturing company, Global Paints which is in the Kelvin North industrial area.

“The idea of venturing into manufacturing paint came when my main paint supplier decided to move overseas after his retirement. I was fortunate in that he had taught me how to make paints,” said Mr Manda.

He said his supplier taught him the skills through online videos and he also worked with local manufacturers to perfect the art.

Manda said when he had mastered the skills, he then established Global Paints company in 2020.
He said by manufacturing his own paint, he realised he is making a lot of money and was saving a lot of foreign currency.

“When I was importing the paint from SA, I sometimes failed to supply some of my customers on time,” said Mr Manda.

He said the big challenge was to get the required machinery, raw materials and working capital.

“I got a loan from my father and also used my savings to buy my first raw materials. What worked in our favour is that as soon as we started production, we managed to secure orders as customers accepted our product,” said Mr Manda.

He said he was greatful to 30-year-old Kenyan paint company owner Sammy Keiza who helped him with tips on how to produce different types of paints.

Mr Manda who said he was trying to do what Keiza is doing in Kenya, said when he engaged him, he realised that he had great knowledge about paint manufacturing.

“He assisted me with some world-class formulas and methods to manufacture paints,” he said.

Mr Manda said he sources most of his raw materials locally and supplies premium paints like Italian silk, washable and weather shield paint. — @ReeSibanda