Edouard Nzambimana a.k.a Edenzy is from Gitega province, Gishubi commune. Apart from being an entrepreneur, he is a musician. He has a Bachelor degree in Marketing and Strategies from the Burundi University. He holds also a master degree in Chinese International Education from Shaoxing International University in China, Zhejiang province. Today, he is the founder and CEO of Burundi Fashion Clothes Company whose main goal is to make and sell clothes to Burundians and foreigners.
“I have been doing music since 2009. I participated in different competitions and won some trophies. To that, Iconcluded contracts with some institutions to realize songs for them», confides Edward. However, when Edouard was still a student at the Burundi University, he has been involved in selling clothes and hairdressing businesses.
After being in China, Edouard got the opportunities of doing business. He started connecting to the Business men from Burundi and Zambia with whom he still cooperates now. He helped them in shipping their goods through Songa Mbele Trading Co. Ltd, established in China, Hongkong, Burundi and Zambia. “I used to buy for them different goods. After, I just loaded and shipped them until they reach them. Hence, I am one of two shareholders of that company and I am the CEO », he tells.
China, a good field to learn doing business
What is crucial that Edouard got from China is the idea of sewing. He tried to imitate the Chinese clothing company in order to create his own company in Burundi. “I accumulated more experiences in that field. That’s why I bought defferent sewing machines in order to set up Burundi Fashion Clothes Company in Burundi. The main object is to make and sell clothes for Burundians and foreigners”, he reveals.
Edouard was stimulated by the fact that most of Burundian clothing companies export from China, Kampala and Dubai whilst it’s easier and more possible to make clothes in Burundi. “In order to realize my dream, I decided to cooperate with three friends of mine in order to collect money for seed capital and buy different machines we needed to start the company », he recounts.
Today Burundi Fashion Clothes Company makes different model clothes and clothing design namely logo, photo, writing … “Burundians, Let’s make clothes for ourselves” is their motto. Though they hope to push someday Burundians to love the “Made in Burundi”, they still ask ourselves, “why Burundi merchants always import fashion clothes whereas it’s possible to source from local market?”
Financially independence at the forefront
In creating his own company Edouard wanted to become financially independent. “I hope also that one day I be one of the biggest economic operators in Burundi”, he puts.
According to Edouard, when someone wants to make his or her way into entrepreneurship, s/he has to know that the “project idea” is very important. “Thanks to selling clothes experiences while I was still a student at the Burundi University alongside exploring Chinese opportunities, I knew that my business is a right path for me. In fact, there was no surprise for I was already an entrepreneur”, he highlights
If Edouard’s phone could ring right now with his dream opportunity, he says that it could be to see all of fashion clothing merchants wholesale locally especially in his company Burundi Fashion Clothes.
His piece of advice is therefore to awaken Burundians to learn how to create the new things, to invest in producing different articles. “I discovered that there are a lot of goods from outside of Burundi which are being sold here. However, if we wake up and work hard, we would produce them here in Burundi. Imagine, for instance, to export broom in China? My advice is also to invite all Burundians to love, to value and to consume the goods produced locally.”
