The Sunday Mail
Enacy Mapakame
While most working ladies in leadership positions, tend to sit behind the desks in air-conditioned offices, dressed in designer dresses and high heeled shoes, Patience Maruni’s domain is a mixed bag.
Hers are mainly the hard hats, safety shoes and dusty environments as she inspects land developments under her company’s portfolio.
Although office environments and boardrooms are also part of her work lifestyle, the Mutare-based business woman’s story is that of transformation from being a teacher to the head of a construction company.
Her company – KMP Properties – is into property and land development and has several housing schemes under its portfolio in different towns and cities.
The company has successfully completed housing projects in Runyararo Southwest in Masvingo, Zimta Chikanga in Mutare, St Joseph’s Park in Mutare, Rusike 3 in Marondera, Mbizo 8 Extension in Kwekwe, CBZ Staff Housing in Mutare and Gateway City Phase 1 (low density) in Mutare.
But Mrs Maruni’s story in the property industry was not easy and did not just happen overnight.
Her determination to keep the company her husband started, gave her more courage to stand the challenges of being in a male-dominated industry. She refused to bow down to cultural norms and the gender stereotypes.
“We are into real estate and housing schemes development and also with interests in earthmoving machinery,” she said by email.
“It all started when my husband passed on in 2015, I came in to continue and maintain the legacy. It has not been easy since it is a male-dominated sector.
“You have to work twice as much since women are always looked down at in this kind of sector. When I took over, the first challenge was to gain acceptance and confidence from the stakeholders.
“Being determined to maintain the legacy, I had to work extremely hard to understand and deliver as expected until I gained acceptance. It was also imperative to maintain and motivate a strong team, which has seen us maintaining our presence on the market,” said Mrs Maruni.
Her ability to juggle boardroom meetings and getting first-hand accounts from the various construction projects has won her several leadership accolades with one of them being the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) 2019 Business Woman of the Year.
Said Mrs Maruni of the awards:
“It’s an endorsement and recognition of my hardworking and business acumen. It is recognition of being amongst the key players in the property sector.”
Over the years, Mrs Maruni has gained confidence in the land development and construction business and does not feel intimidated by being in a male dominated industry.
In fact, she sees vast opportunities for other women entrepreneurs to exploit in the construction business. According to Construction Dive the percentage of women in construction overall has hovered somewhere between 9 percent and 10 percent since 1996 and is currently at 9,9 percent.
Female building inspectors reach about 14 percent with painters at 7,2 percent with trades like carpet installation, carpenters, drywall hangers and electricians landing somewhere between 1,9 percent and 3,7 percent.
That women make up a fraction of the workforce is not new. However, that women continue to fill a fraction of leadership roles with little sign of improvement should be a concern.
Intersect Global reports that there were only 21 women on the boards of the top 20 UK contractors in 2017.
Mrs Maruni says despite these “depressing” statistics, she will persevere and encourage other women into the sector and perhaps reach the levels of Barbara Res, renowned for branding herself as “The Woman Who Built Trump Tower”, as she was in 1980 appointed senior vice president in charge of the popular Trump Tower, becoming the first woman to oversee a major construction project in New York.
“We want to maintain a steady business growth nationally and expanding into regional markets. The industry is always growing and opportunities are abundant especially for housing.
“To fellow women entrepreneurs, let’s be resolute. Women should not expect preferential treatment but work hard. There is hope for gender equality and equity in Zimbabwe as the country is developing,” she said.
