Beneficiaries Spotlight Series Interview with Zigwai Fanda

Meet Zigwai Fanda, the passionate founder of LadyBamboo Limited. Her company is all about sustainability, creating beautiful, eco-friendly products from bamboo, cane, and rattan, with the goal of tackling global challenges like deforestation and climate change. Let’s dive into her journey and how the Growth4Her Accelerator has shaped her business.

Interviewer: Can you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your business?    

My name is Zigwai Fanda, the founder of LadyBamboo Limited. LadyBamboo Limited is an innovative and eco-friendly company with a dream to shape a more sustainable world. We take immense pride in crafting exceptional products from bamboo, cane, and rattan, addressing global challenges like deforestation and climate change. Our diverse product range, encompassing furniture, home decor, kitchenware, and more, seamlessly combines aesthetics with environmental consciousness

Interviewer: What motivated you to join the Growth4Her Accelerator program?  

I went through the programme and schedule, and I liked it, I saw that there was a lot to gain. Also, being an entrepreneur, I believe there’s a need to keep updating yourself. So, my quest for learning and improving myself and my business pushed me to apply for the accelerator program.  

Interviewer: Were there specific challenges your business was faced with prior to joining the program? How did the Growth4Her Accelerator program help you overcome these challenges you faced in growing your business?  

The major challenge I had was I wasn’t 100% sure of the legal aspects or processes of business, particularly when it comes to investing. So, the program opened my eyes to several aspects such as equity, how to give equity, investment by ROI. It made me understand that to maintain ownership of my business I needed to own at least 51% of my business. Also, the importance of doing my due diligence when an investor comes on board, because not all investors are right for your business and so much more to help me not make a mistake with investors.  

Interviewer: Can you share a memorable moment or experience from the Growth4Her Accelerator program that stood out to you?  

What stood out during the program was the psychosocial training. Even after going through many other accelerator programmes, I’ve never seen any training teach this vital aspect. Before now, I didn’t know that as an entrepreneur, it is also key to understand yourself, your emotions, as they will help you relate well with your customers, that was pretty much what the Psychosocial session was about and that was an AHA moment for me.  

Interviewer: Since completing the Growth4Her Accelerator program, how has your business grown or changed?   

You know, it doesn’t just come overnight, it takes a process, for now I’m trying to build structure for my business, bring in some experts like digital marketer, social media manager, etc, to put myself out there in the faces of my target audience. Growth is coming but it’s a gradual process of putting all I’ve learned into action and seeing results.  

Interviewer: What advice would you give to other women entrepreneurs who are considering joining the Growth4Her Accelerator program?  

I think every woman who’s an entrepreneur should apply to Growth4Her Accelerator program because they will never go wrong and the curriculum is thorough, the mentors are all experts and there’s so much to learn. I encourage every woman who is an entrepreneur to apply because of all that the program will open your mind to.