Zimpapers Logo

Business Reporter

UNITED Kingdom-based Zimbabwean-born entrepreneur and founder of Lorac Healthcare, Carole Nyakudya, says her vision is to expand business across Sub-Saharan Africa and make job creation impact in the continent and beyond.

A specialist in mental health care, Nyakudya (43) runs a successful business enterprise under the Lorac HealthCare brand, which was established in 2013 to render mental health and learning disability service, mainly targeting minors and the youth.

Since then, the business has spread its wings outside the UK borders to become a thriving young international venture with footprint in South Africa, Ghana, Uganda and recently in Zimbabwe.

Inspired by a broader vision to contribute to the development of her continent of origin – Africa, and the business headquarters, the UK, Nyakudya says the Lorac brand has now transformed into a group of five companies, each servicing specific needs of target communities.

Besides the founding Lorac Healthcare business, sister units include Lorac Holdings, which was set up in 2017 and is into property business in Johannesburg, South Africa and Lorac Foundation, which is into charity work. There is also Lorac Media and recently Lorac International.

Whereas local media is focused on publicity issues, Nyakudya said the newly established Lorac International was a recruitment agency meant to meet staffing needs of the business.

Due to the impact of her business and demand for professional services, Nyakudya said the UK government has awarded her a license to recruit personnel from outside its borders.

This has necessitated the planned official launch of the Lorac International branch in Zimbabwe this weekend and into other parts of Africa so as to meet the growing demand for service.

“I believe I was born to make impact and create possibilities for other people,” said Nyakudya in an interview.

“My vision is to be able to make positive impact in Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of meeting the need for job creation and the needs of the UK in terms of job supply and demand.

“We have been awarded a licence by the home office, which is the UK government, giving us permission as a company to be able to recruit for our staffing needs, within the organisation, from abroad.”

Nyakudya said the awarding of a recruitment license has widened the horizon for her business as it opens opportunity for expansion into Zimbabwe thereby creating job opportunities for unemployed locals.

“We have unlimited job roles as a business. Our license allows us to employ as many people as we want as the organisation expands. This is a first-time breakthrough for us and this is an authentic opportunity,” she said.

“The official launch for Lorac International in Zimbabwe is on this Saturday. We are proud we will launch our first branch at home. The launch will be done virtually and once it’s done people can start applying and those who qualify will be taken through our processes.

“This will not be a guarantee of a job as it is not the home office. All we do is to sponsor and give you a channel and opportunity and the rest is done by the home office in the UK.”

In addition to creating jobs in the local branch and at other offices in African branches, Nyakudya said Lorac International would assist qualifying prospective applicants from different health and commercial related fields to secure travel and immigration particulars to be able to work for the company in the UK.

Nyakudya, who is also into gospel music joined the great trek to the United Kingdom (UK) in 1997 having spent childhood and teenage years in her country of her birth.

A former pupil at St Dominic’s Chishawasha and Nagle House Convent schools before moving to the UK, Nyakudya is a holder of a Diploma in Mental Health Nursing attained at Birmingham University, Bsc in Health Studies at Wolverhampton University and an M.Sc. in Public Health and Health Development attained at Birmingham City University.

She underwent business and entrepreneurship training at the Birmingham City University after being seconded for the European Union’s Bseen programme.