In each Issue of Sibo-Lifestyle Magazine, we celebrate individuals that dream big, pursue their dreams and are pursuing success on their own terms. I’d like us to learn from them, to see how like us they are or how they differ from us. For us to see what we can do differently or continue to do to pursue our own dreams and success. This month we have the pleasure of hearing from Candice Mbaita.
Candice Mbaita is an entrepreneur who is the founder of Insight Mobile Imaging, a mobile medical imaging company that provides community-based quality diagnostic imaging services. With a Master’s Degree in Diagnostic Radiography, she blends academics and entrepreneurship beautifully.
She has been recognised internationally for her work, having been chosen in 2018 for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, a US Government program started by President Barack Obama. Prior to that Candice attended the Young African Leaders Initiative Regional Centre in Pretoria, South Africa, where she won the Business Idea Pitch competition, which she says was the “final straw that catapulted me into pursuing my dreams.” From her numerous achievements to her extensive travel and her service towards the communities that need it the most, I believe Candice Mbaita is just the person for us to learn from.
Where are you from and where do you currently live? Have you lived in any other countries?
My father’s side of the family is originally Zambian, hence my strange last name. I was born and raised in the small mining town of Hwange, Zimbabwe and moved to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe the year I started my first year of University. I have also lived in England for a couple of years but I consider myself a Zambian Zimbabwean, Bulawayo Hwangarian.
Tell us about your childhood. What was life like for you growing up?
Growing up in Hwange was magic! It was the best place to grow up in Zimbabwe at that time (in my humble personal opinion!) Life was good. Electricity and water were free. The grass was green. We had the Hwange National Park and the majestic Victoria Falls just a stone throw distance in either direction. We rode our bicycles down the street and occasionally had an elephant in our vegetable garden. It was a carefree existence. My parents both worked for the Colliery and everything was pretty much free. I wouldn’t change a thing about my childhood.
Growing up, did you imagine you would do the things you’ve been able to do in your life?
I don’t think I imagined my life as it is now back when I was a child. Entrepreneurship was certainly not on my mind. I have managed to do only a tiny percentage of the traveling that I imagined I would do when I grew up. The rest of the things I imagined as a child are probably illegal in many countries so, no, I have not done them all.
So far, what are you most proud of achieving in your life?
I think I am most proud of having the courage to take a leap of faith, leave formal employment behind and start my own business. I am also very proud of my academic achievements. If Covid-19 had not happened I would be sitting on three degrees now, but alas, I’m still on two with one still to wrap up.
What are you currently working on?
I am currently running a mobile medical imaging company that provides community-based quality diagnostic imaging services such as ultrasound scan to underserved communities like Inyathi and Filabusi as well as Bulawayo. My vision is to bridge the inequalities that exist in healthcare delivery and access. I hope to provide diagnostic medical imaging services to rural, remote and marginalized communities so that everyone has an equal chance of improving their health, regardless of socioeconomic background or geographical location.
What did you do before starting your own business?
Before taking the big leap I worked for one of the country’s biggest private medical service providers. My work experience also includes working in a large public hospital here in Zimbabwe as well as working in the clinical research industry in England.
What made you decide to start a business? How did you come up with the idea and why that particular business?
I decided to start a business because I wanted to make a difference in my community. I wanted to contribute my knowledge, skills and experience to help improve the health of the people of Zimbabwe. The idea initially came about when I worked in a large public hospital where I was part of a team that served people from communities that were hundreds of kilometres away. I made note of the fact that this meant that there was a lack of diagnostic medical imaging services in those far away communities. It brought back memories of losing my own father and brother due to late diagnosis of their medical conditions when we lived in Hwange, which did not have some of the diagnostic services at the time. While working abroad I felt that I had more to contribute towards the people in my country and I started to put my idea down on paper.
What do you do on a daily basis in your business or venture or project?
In my venture, I perform ultrasound scans on patients and try to identify the cause of their medical conditions. I like to think of myself as the doctors’ eyes, I help them see into the patient’s body and find answers. So basically my daily work is like solving puzzles or mysteries, something I thoroughly enjoy doing. I strive to do my work to the best of my abilities so that the patient can get an accurate diagnosis, which in turn allows the doctor to prescribe the appropriate treatment or management. I do this work either at my practice in the Bulawayo CBD, at community clinics in residential areas, at rural clinics or in patients’ homes.
What do you enjoy about running your own business?
I enjoy the autonomy that running my own business grants me. I have the ability to work on the basis of my personal values and interests. It awards me the capacity to make my own decisions and decide on a course of action. Running my own business has definitely given me the opportunity to grow as a person. With so many challenges coming at you daily you have no option but to learn, adapt and grow!
What have you found to be difficult or challenging as a business owner?
Where do I begin!? If I had to pick just one challenge it would have to be spreading myself too thin. I have tried to do everything myself and this obviously doesn’t work too well. I have found it a challenge to let go of some aspects of the business and allow someone else to exercise their expertise. It’s difficult to trust that other people will have the same vision, zeal and work ethic as myself as the business owner.
How has COVID-19 affected your business and what have you learned as a result?
The travel restrictions obviously meant that some of our patients couldn’t get to us and we couldn’t get to some communities. This reflected in a reduction in revenue in the first few weeks of lockdown. I learnt that you need to be able to adapt quickly to situations and you need to PIVOT. We pivoted by focusing more on home visits during this time, all the while observing strict infection control procedures of course.
If someone wanted to start their own business, what insights would you give them?
To someone looking to start their own business I would say as long as you have done your market research and possibly even piloted your idea, do it. Start where you are, with what you have. Do not wait until you have “enough money” or “the perfect location.” Steve Jobs started in a garage, look where his company is now, even after his death.
What role, if any, has social media played in running your business?
Being in healthcare or the medical field it is quite unfortunate that I am not able to use social media as prolifically as those in other sectors can. Technically we are not permitted to overtly advertise to patients but I have been using social media to share health information while obviously stating who is bringing this information to the public (wink wink.) Social media has also allowed me to share events that the business has taken part in, for example medical outreach programmes in Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South Provinces.
Are you currently working on other things as well, if yes, what?
I am currently working on a few non-profit projects that are all aimed at improving community health through improved service delivery, manpower development and health information dissemination.
Do you have dreams, goals or a vision for your life? If yes, have you recorded them in any way?
I have a notebook that I call B.O.P (Book Of Possibilities.) I write my dreams, hopes and wishes in this book, with dates, so that I can look back and tick them off as they happen. I got the idea of B.O.P from a movie I watched many years ago. I do not even remember the title of the movie but the concept of the B.O.P was so strong that I started my own immediately. I have been updating it for at least 7 years now.
Have any of your dreams or goals come true or been achieved?
A number of my goals and dreams have come true, for example the places I wished I could visit became a reality. Starting my own business was once a dream in my B.O.P and it has since been ticked off.
What drives you in life? What keeps you going?
I am driven by a sense of service. I feel that I need to make my contribution to this world by serving people in the field of expertise in which I find myself in. I believe we are all equipped with different skills and talents and the best way to make an impact in our society is to use these skills to serve those around us. The skills are not ours to keep but instead we must fully utilise them in service to others.
What does success look like for you?
Success to me means the people around me are happy with my contribution. If I have managed to help people and influence their lives in a positive way then I have been successful.
Have you ever failed at something or not achieved what you hoped for or been disappointed after not being chosen for something? If yes, what happened and how did you handle the situation? What kept you going?
I have failed at a number of things and not been chosen for some things that I was anticipating. Although these things disappointed me greatly I would say having the support of my friends and family helped me a lot. Having them there to encourage me to not give up, saying that it is not the end of the world and that other opportunities will come my way helped me to keep standing when all I wanted to do was crumble. They are my strength when I am weak (as cliché as that may sound!) A good support system kept me going.
What places have you travelled to? (Countries or cities)
I fantasize about travelling the world, but so far I have only managed to visit the following places: South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania (Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar,) Kenya, Senegal, United Kingdom (England and Wales,) Spain (Barcelona,) USA (New York, New Brunswick, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Chicago, Minneapolis and Richmond.)
What did you love about the places you’ve travelled to?
I simply love getting to learn about new places I visit. I like to learn about the history and culture of the place and of course try out the cuisine that is unique to the place. I enjoy visiting museums and heritage sites in new places because you get to learn so much in a short period of time. Interacting with the locals is definitely important to me as they can point out the hidden gems in their towns or cities. I always bring a souvenir home to remind me of my experiences.
From the cities I have visited personally I would have to say what struck me about Barcelona was the cleanliness of the place. I have yet to visit a metropolitan city that is cleaner than Barcelona! Zanzibar had the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen, and I have seen a fair number! Nairobi, Kenya impressed me while New York City obviously just simply blew my mind.
What has been the best place you’ve visited and why?
That’s a difficult one. I love nature and the outdoors so my top spots would have to go to Cape Town in South Africa and Zanzibar in Tanzania. I have visited some beautiful cities and had some remarkable experiences but Mother Nature beats Concrete Jungles!
What have you learned from your travel experiences?
Travel broadens your scope of thinking. There is so much to see out there, so much to learn. There are so many different people out there, so many different cultures and norms. You cannot help but think differently when you have experienced so many different environments. I wish every single person had the opportunity to travel a little, visit different places and meet different types of people. Perhaps we would be a little more tolerant of one another.
Are you in any way or form taking care of or feeding your spirit, body and soul? If yes, how are you doing that?
I feed my soul with the word of God, I pray, listen to sermons and share scriptures with family and friends. My favourite daily routine is listening to praise and worship music as I get ready for work. You can’t help but start the day on a good note after having your spirit lifted by some good old worship! I try to feed my body by eating healthy. I eat mostly home cooked meals and not much junk food.
How do you show yourself love, if you do that?
I show myself love by treating myself to a chocolate and a movie every once in a while! And perhaps a nice pair of shoes if I have been very good!
What 3 books or movies have played a role in your personal development and growth?
For me, the most influential book in my personal development and growth was the Bible (yes, it is a book.) Having grown up in a Christian family and choosing that path for myself as I grew older I would certainly have to say that book has a lot to do with the person I am today. Its life lessons cannot be discounted.
The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason packed a powerful punch in my life. It is amazing how a book originally written in 1926 could still dispense such powerful financial lessons almost a century later. It opened my eyes in many different ways and I highly recommend it to those who have not read it yet.
The third book I would like to mention may be a little controversial but I suppose people take different things from the same experience and there isn’t much we can do about that. Personally, the tiny book entitled The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne, unlocked a sense of positive thinking in me that absolutely pivoted my life after I read it. I now live by the mantra “Ask, Believe and Receive” without necessarily directing my energy to “the universe” but rather to the God I believe in.
If you were to be well known for something, what would you want it to be? Or how would you want to be remembered at the end of your life?
Funny you should ask, a friend in South Africa asked me this question just yesterday. I will keep the same answer. I would like to be known for exceptional patient care. I want people to talk about the good service they got from me through my work, and how very well they were treated. I want to be remembered for putting the patient first.
How can readers support you or your work if they would like to do that?
I can be found at Insight Mobile Imaging, Second Floor Stanbic Building, Corner JMN Nkomo Street and 8th Avenue in Bulawayo.
