The Sunday Mail
Patrick Chitumba
THIRTY-YEAR-OLD Gweru-based entrepreneur Ms Moreblessing Kunyangwe scooped the Female Founders Initiative Middle East and Africa (FFI MEA) Under-50 award during a ceremony held in Dubai recently.
The FFI MEA is a women’s economic empowerment organisation that strives to give female business leaders access to international markets. Ms Kunyangwe — who owns Relievers Group of Companies that has branches in Harare, Shurugwi, Masvingo, Chinhoyi and Gweru — said she was elated to receive the accolade.
“I was excited to have been one of the nominees from 19 countries. I am the founder and chief executive officer of Relievers Group of Companies, which has a funeral service company, property development company and security services company,” said Ms Kunyangwe.
She said it never dawned on her that she would be nominated and go on to win an award at such a prominent event.
“It was a great honour for me and I am overflowing with excitement. I hope this award can inspire other women that they can dare to dream.” The enterprising businesswoman said she started her business interests in 2016 and the last seven years have seen her firms registering marked growth.
“My first business was selling stands on behalf of people and the business grew. We then started developing land into residential stands. After that, we opened a medical aid company.
“Back then, I didn’t know that an up-and-coming entrepreneur like me could run a medical aid company. After making the necessary applications, I was given a licence to operate it,” she narrated. In 2021, the energetic businesswoman started her funeral service and security companies. Ms Kunyangwe said on the medical aid package, and as an incentive to attract more clients, her company offered free funeral cover to members.
“We were saying that there would be free funeral cover once you join the medical aid.
“So, when a member died, we would engage other funeral service companies for services to bury the deceased. We realised an opportunity and we registered our own funeral company.
“As for the security company, my father worked for a local security company for 40 years and when he retired, we then started this company with him in 2021. Operations then started in 2022.”
She said women around the world are proving that success has no age. limit.
