He exudes extreme self-confidence and a clear sense of pride and satisfaction. When he talks about the growth, uniqueness and importance of his business, he takes time giving details, choosing his words carefully.

He also boasts of having the best milk yoghurt (ikivuguto) on the local market or even the entire continent. His pride is chalked up when he claims to be the first person to have been able to package fermented milk in brand new jerrycans.

The man with a receding hairline, toothy grin marked by a large diastema, has built a community of loyal clients, particularly among travellers to and from Southern and Western provinces, and says he attaches much value to the feedback he gets from his clientele.

He has travelled around Africa selling and talking about Rwanda’s milk, a product he says remains as unique as delicious.

His name is perhaps less known–or even not known at all. But not his enterprise, a common name among milk lovers in the country, and particularly, among travellers who ply the road to the south and south-west of the country.

He is Saïd Havugimana, the founder of Haji Enterprise, a company that specialises in Ikivuguto.‘Haji’, as he is commonly known, today owns a multi-million business that incorporates two restaurants, two grocery shops and a mini milk processing plant, among others.

However, his flagship product is Ikivuguto.

The Nyanza-based business serves mainly as a stop-off-point for passengers who buy milk, brochettes, fried potatoes, juice and other delicacies while on the road.

Childhood love for business

Havugimana, a 45-year-old father of six, started trying his luck in business in the year 2000, having earlier worked as a teacher at several local schools.

In the beginning, he opened a small stall where he sold vegetables, fruits, pastries and black tea–without hope that what he was starting would one day become a multi-million business.

At the behest of his clients, he says, he decided to add milk to his menu.

In the beginning, he started with a limited quantity of milk as he was unsure that he would get clients. But the demand he got was overwhelming.

"I started selling two, three or four litres a day. And the quantity grew by the day,” the businessman says.

And, as his business grew, Havugimana named it ‘Haji Enterprise.’

Currently, Haji Enterprise processes more than 2,000 litres of milk per day, which is then packaged in branded five-litre jerrycans.

As a child, Havugimana used to accompany his grandmother who had a stall in Nyanza market and would help her woo clients.

As he grew up, his love for business also grew.

While a pupil, Havugimana would pick coffee beans for pocket money. In secondary school, he would discover another opportunity to generate little money from his colleagues.

"I realised people used to write many letters to their families, so I decided to always take with me many envelopes, papers and postage stamps which I later sold to students and made benefits,” Havugimana recalls.

Even when he completed high school and went on to become a teacher, his love for business never died, paving way for the ramshackle kiosk that he started with 14 years ago.

‘Client-centred’

The football enthusiast and music lover who once founded an orchestra with secondary school colleagues believes his success is embedded in the attention he gives to his clients and value he attaches to their needs, feedback and suggestions.

But, he insists, there is no single magic bullet that makes one successful in business.

"It is always a combination of factors that lead a business to success and ensure constant growth,” Havugimana says.

The first factor, he says, is ensuring that clients get the best quality of services and products.

His fermented milk, he says, has no additives, is obtained through a rigorous process to ensure its good quality from the beginning and is processed with traditional and natural ways only hours after milking.

"By being closer to your business and your clients, you get to know better your clients, their expectations and what you need to improve,” Havugimana says.

"That contributes to keeping the natural quality and taste of milk.”

Secondly, ensuring high level customer service and investing in marketing are key to building a successful business empire.

"I have realised that some investors stop marketing their products when they realise that their businesses are growing. That is a mistake; marketing your products should always be part of your priorities,” Havugimana advises.

"And above all, know how to respect your employees because for a company to grow and thrive, staff need to be first successful individually and then you get to grow as a company,” he notes.

To other investors in the milk industry, the businessman advises them to keep learning from each other and always seek ways of improving their skills, both on best milk handling practices and on running businesses.

Proud entrepreneur

Three years ago, the Nyanza-based businessman started packaging and branding his products.

That has strengthened his foothold in the sector while contributing to the growth of his brand.

"Branding and packaging gave me a unique identity. Besides, it goes with making sure the quality of what we sell remains constantly good,” Havugimana says.

Besides the wealth he has accumulated through his business, Havugimana says it has helped him meet the needs of his family and extend support to his relatives and friends.

It has also helped him provide education to his family, including himself.

In 2012, Havugimana graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in management and is currently pursuing a Masters of Business Administration, a programme he believes will equip him with more skills that would allow him to improve his skills and further grow his business.

His investment has also generated employment for dozens of people.

Currently, Haji Enterprise employs 20 permanent staff and about 80 others who work on a part-time basis.

"Running a growing enterprise means you need to work hard, maintain efforts to ensure good quality products and avoid any mistakes that might compromise your relations with both your clients and employees,” he says.

As his business grows further, his appetite for expansion also increases. Currently, he is looking for ways of opening a shop in Kigali to extend his client base.

Havugimana also believes there will be time when he will be able to take his business and products out of the country.

"It makes you proud of yourself when you look back and realise that you have built something almost from scratch,” Havugimana says.

jp.bucyensenge@newtimes.co.rw