For most young people, one must complete college or university education first, save or even borrow a lot of money and then start a business.

In other words, it is simply impossible to venture into the world of business or self-employment without capital; that is liquid cash.

But to some, like Ann Kaliza, doing business can never be just a product of circumstances, but rather an in-born character that manifests at a tender age.

At just 26, Kaliza already owns a fast growing multi-media business in the country, Malaika Media Rwanda.

Born in Kampala in 1988 to Tharcisse Kayihura and Cecile Mukankusi, Kaliza started doing business at an incredibly young age of 12.

She lost her parents when she was still a young child of three years and lived with grandparents; and later with an auntie who enrolled her in school. 

She attended Ggaba Model Primary School and later joined Seroma Christian School for her secondary education.

When Kaliza was growing up as an orphan, she always had a feeling of being self-employed; managing her own business and taking decisions.

Therefore, it was not surprising that when she turned 12, while in senior one, she decided to put into practice what her inner feeling had always instructed her. She ventured into business—her first business being making soap detergent. Her auntie, with whom she lived with, was a business woman from who Kaliza copied the business idea of making soap which she sold to schools, salons, hotels and hospitals in and around Kampala.

"During that time, I don’t remember ever burdening my guardian by asking for pocket money because I had more than enough,” she says.

Kaliza continued the business of making and selling soap detergents until after completing secondary education.

During her senior four vacation, Kaliza visited Rwanda to spend her holiday with relatives. While in Kigali, the business instinct in her made her always to be on the lookout for opportunities.

It was during that time that, she discovered that there was big demand for English lessons—as many people wanted to learn to speak and write the language that was being introduced as one of the official means of communications in the country.

She immediately started conducting classes at Remera; and named her place Bridgeton Learning Centre.

Here, she taught hundreds of people from different walks of life—house helps, school-going children, soldiers and civil servants who were interested in learning English. 

By the time she returned to Uganda for her A-level studies (2006-2008) Kaliza had already established a reputation as a good teacher of English; so much so that after her secondary education, she came back to Rwanda to continue teaching the language. 

This was a job she did all through her senior six vacation and still feels proud of having taught over 150 people. By the time she returned to Uganda for her university studies, most of the people she taught could read, write and speak English.

In 2009, Kaliza enrolled at Makerere University to study business administration.

While at university, she put on hold all her business activities—to allow time to concentrate on studies because she believed that the course would take her another big step ahead in as far as achieving her dream of self-employment was concerned. 

While at the university, she worked as a volunteer at the Rwanda High Commission in Kampala, whenever there was an event.

After completing studies at Makerere, Kaliza returned to Rwanda to settle and start life after school with eyes on becoming a self employed person.

However, after campus, she did not go back into teaching English, instead she started looking for employment. 

Fortunately, teaching had brought her into contact with many people and made many friends.

So, finding a job was never going to be difficult for her; as expected, she got employment as soon as she completed school.

She worked with Promota Creations as marketing and human resource manager in Kimihurura.

She also did internship with Rwanda Development Board among other organisations.

Back to business

During her days in all the organisations she worked with, there is one single thing that dominated her thoughts; that one day she would have to leave and start her own business. So, whatever she was doing was only to prepare her for self-employment.

After just one year of working for other people, Kaliza put together all her savings worth one million Rwandan francs and decided to start a media centre which she named Malaika Media Rwanda.

She opted for the name ‘Malaika’ (Angel) because she believed that an Angel is the most beautiful thing and she wanted to make people look beautiful.

She says that whatever she does looks beautiful like Engels due to her professional photographic and specialised photo editors. Why Malaika media business?

She says that since childhood, among the things that brought a smile on her face were photographs. Whenever a photograph of her appeared bad, she would be stressed and therefore thought that other people felt the same about their own photos.

"I ventured into muilti-media industry, especially photography to ensure quality and teach others how we can be the stewards of quality,” she says.

What does Malaika media do?

She says that at the heart of what they do is the desire to produce high quality videos and photography.

"We offer our clients an integrated solution across all core services during events such as weddings, corporate photography, documentaries, short films, web videos, video reports, green screen videos and TV commercials.” She says that they also offer photography like memory lane (childhood to adulthood), corporate photography, wedding and fashion. There is also creative work such as website design, logo design, Brochure, flyer, letterhead, cover designs, magazine design and photo frames.   

"We have worked on very many weddings and feedback about our work is positive” she said.

Achievements

Kaliza says that the one year she has spent as a self employed person, has enabled her learn from other business owners in town.

She has since acquired better skills in marketing as well as business management which has enabled her manage her business well, so far.

"I have been able to travel to many countries; I have worked with big companies which has increased my expertise in this field.

Challenges

Kaliza says that the biggest challenge for any business startup is capital. 

She says that its one of the challenges she faced at the initial stages of starting her business but with time all that will be sorted out. 

Challenges in business are many and some come with huge losses, but what defines a true business person is ability to cope with such scenarios and keep moving, Kaliza says. 

Another challenge is the customers whose bargaining power is very strong to the extent that they can corner her to do a job almost at a loss.

"Some of our clients think that we are very expensive; they do not consider the cost of materials we use. Therefore, sometimes if not careful you find yourself working at loss or work on credit. In that way, you cannot grow [fast enough] as a business person,” she says. 

Nonetheless, Kaliza plans to make Malaika Media grow and become a leading media house with the best and specialised photographers in the region.

"I want to build Malaika grow to become a recognised media house in the entire East African region.” The company now has operations in Uganda. The plan is to rollout operations to Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi.

Kaliza advises young graduates not to spend most of their time look for employment, but instead try hard and create jobs for themselves and others who are not fortunate to have acquired higher education.

"My advice to any graduate is not to look for a job but rather create jobs for the people using the knowledge acquired from school.”

She gives an example a Ugandan graduate of business administration from Makerere University Business School who started a successful business of making chapatti, called Gaddafi. The business is employing hundreds of would-be unemployed youth, most of school dropouts without employable skills.

This man, according to Kaliza, used the knowledge he acquired from university to start a business that many educated people despised but turned out to be very lucrative. Not only is he providing a service, but the business is also employing many people.