Have you ever heard of Tatenda Samukange? If you have not then this article will help you know who he is. He is one of the notable young entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe. This article is meant to explore his profile so that you can be inspired.

Who Is Tatenda Samukange

Tatenda Samukange is the Chief Executive Officer of Skylake Borehole Drilling. This is a company he started in 2016 which effectively places the company at 5 years of age. Tatenda Samukange is acclaimed as the youngest man to own a drill rig in Zimbabwe before the age of 22. Something I find remarkable about him is something he once said. He said, “I used to disguise my position as I felt I was too young. I thought other clients and business partners would not take me seriously at that age.”

His Journey

Early Days…

Just like many young people out there, he was conflicted over whether or not to pursue academic pursuits. This is usually something young people experience when they finish their O’Levels or A’Levels. Tatenda Samukange performed well in school but after his A’Levels, he decided to pause academic pursuits. Later on, he would get employed in marketing a certain company. This was all thanks to a relative of his and he actually excelled at that company. At some point, he was elevated to head the Bulawayo branch of that company. A while later he left that vocation to try out a car sales business.

A Valuable Opportunity…

It was during that business that circumstances began to line up towards what today is Skylake Borehole Drilling. One of his customers from the car sale business proposed that he could work for them. That customer-owned a borehole drilling business and he was going to be paid based on commissions. He would pursue that job for several months during which he started putting things together to start his own borehole drilling company. This all culminated in him formally registering Skylake Borehole Drilling in the first half of 2016.

A Strategic Tender…

It was not rosy from the onset though since he mostly had to outsource and hire equipment. This was borne out of financial constraints. During the latter part of 2016, he won a tender worth US$14 000. This tender opened up two great upsides for him. One, he managed to realize significant profits from the tender which beefed up his cash flows. Two, it opened up doors to a network of clients which in turn broadened his clientele all the more.

2017 Things Shape Up…

From then onwards he managed to set up an office and secured Skylake Borehole Drilling’s first drill rig truck. It was an upward trajectory from this point forward and today Skylake Borehole Drilling is one of the most formidable borehole drilling companies in Zimbabwe.

Skylake Borehole Drilling

Skylake Borehole Drilling is a wholly Zimbabwean company specializing in borehole drilling, installation, and supply of borehole reticulation systems, maintenance, and rehabilitation of boreholes across the nation. Established in 2016 they have drilled over 5000 boreholes in the domestic, industrial, and agricultural sectors. You can check out their website here. They have also done many Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. Notable amongst them are borehole donations they made to Wilkins Hospital and Beatrice Infectious Diseases Hospital. They also do customer appreciation giveaways.

To get in touch with Skylake Borehole Drilling you can contact them on +263 772 764 310 or +263 785 305 275. Other numbers you can call or WhatsApp are +263 785 887 878, and +263 714 449 825. You can also email on admin@skylakeboreholes.co.zw. To get a quote you can contact +263 772 764 310 or email on skylakeboreholes@gmail.com. You can connect with them on Facebook here.

I think inspiration can be drawn from Tatenda Samukange’s story. Some people have always questioned how someone this young could set up such a huge business. Some have postulated that he benefited from political connections and what nought. I do not know enough to pass judgement on that. However, I strongly affirm that you cannot take away the fact that he put in the work to get to where he is. After all, being young is no basis for someone to not make it big in business. It can be done and so can you, despite the tough operating environment in Zimbabwe.