The Chartered Vendor

The Chartered Vendor

6/4/2025, 12:06:47 PM

Everyone is in sales — and sales is for everyone. In Africa, if you’re breathing, you’re selling. No “Sales Executive” title needed — if you’ve ever convinced the landlord for an extra week, dodged a roadblock, or negotiated lobola from 15 cows to 5 — you’re already in sales! From security guards to presidents, selling is survival. Shoutout to my biker brother Lennon Muzawazi for investing in the book Sales = Mjolo. Because here, if you can’t sell — you’ll suffer. #Thecharteredvendor #Sellinglikeavendor

The Chartered Vendor

6/4/2025, 11:43:11 AM

What is an Intrapreneur? Watch the premiere of our podcast as we look at "Can You Be an Entrepreneur Inside a Company? (Intrapreneur Explained)" Click to watch: https://youtu.be/E4t_zfM7q7c Subscribe, Like, Share and Comment #Thecharteredvendor #Sellinglikeavendor

The Chartered Vendor

6/5/2025, 9:11:45 AM

DEGREES ARE HOT, BUT CAN YOU MOP THE FLOOR? Let’s be honest for a second — some of you are carrying degrees like they’re VIP passes to heaven. The moment someone graduates, especially in Africa, they come out of university thinking they’re about to be the next CEO, CFO, C-whatever-O. They expect corner offices with air conditioning, leather chairs, and cappuccinos brought by interns who greet them with “Good morning, Sir.” You’ll hear things like: “I studied for this!” “I didn’t go to university to carry boxes!” “Why should I mop the floor? I have a degree in International Business!” International Business — but you can’t manage a mop locally? Meanwhile, the guy without a degree, who started off selling airtime, is now running a whole shop, employing the same graduate who doesn’t want to carry a chair because “my back is not used to such labor.” Let’s break it down. Degrees Don’t Guarantee Patience — or Common Sense You’d be surprised — people without degrees often outperform those with them, especially in real-world hustle. Why? One word: Attitude. Tell someone with no degree, “Please clean the office,” they jump up: “Yes boss, can I also clean the windows while I’m at it?” Tell someone with a degree? “Excuse me? I didn’t study for four years to become a cleaner. My uncle is a lawyer!” And yet… they’re broke. The Nomadic Graduate: 15 Jobs in 10 Years I once interviewed a guy — he had a nice suit, polished English, and enough degrees to confuse a passport control officer. But when I looked at his CV? 15 jobs. In 10 years. Each one lasted less than a year. My brother, are you applying for a job or advertising yourself as a traveler? How do you work in 15 companies and still say “I’m looking for stability”? My guy, you are the instability! Even shepherds don’t move their sheep that often. Respect the Hustle, Not Just the Hat Yes, education is good. Yes, degrees matter. But in Africa, where opportunities are tight and hustle is real, what separates winners from whiners is not the paper — it’s the character. That’s why people with no degrees are often climbing faster: They’re willing to learn. They don’t feel too important to work. They treat small tasks with big respect. You tell them, “Start with this corner,” and they don’t ask for a corner office first. But give the same instruction to someone with a degree? They start looking for HR to report “task misalignment.” The Degree Is in the Mindset In Africa, we have too many graduates and not enough grounded ones. Having a degree doesn’t mean you must avoid dirt. Sometimes, the road to the top is through the storeroom, the broom, or the smallest chair in the meeting room. The question is: Can your degree handle humility? Because if you can’t start small, you won’t grow big — unless it’s your ego. So next time you meet someone cleaning the office and stacking shelves, don’t look down on them. They might just be your boss next year… with no degree, but plenty of grit. #Thecharteredvendor #Sellinglikeavendor #Entrepereneurship #positiveattitude

The Chartered Vendor

6/4/2025, 3:08:53 PM

In sales you need to understand the pain of your customer so that you can administer the right solutions. Behave like a doctor not a pharmacist. #Thecharteredvendor #Sellinglikeavendor

The Chartered Vendor

6/5/2025, 6:28:27 AM

Your phone is smart — but during work hours, be smarter. You weren’t hired to scroll TikTok or reply in group chats all day. That’s not part of your job description. Use your phone wisely — save the mjolo, memes, and gossip for after 5PM. Otherwise, your next update might be: “Seeking new opportunities” on LinkedIn. #Thecharteredvendor #Sellinglikeavendor

The Chartered Vendor

6/5/2025, 3:11:21 PM

In Africa, people don’t buy because your product is nice — they buy because they know you. You could be selling water in a drought, but if there’s no trust? “Let me ask my brother-in-law first.” People buy from people they trust. So stop just posting prices — build real connections! Even tomatoes sell faster when you say, “These are from my mother’s garden.” #Thecharteredvendor #Sellinglikeavendor

The Chartered Vendor

6/5/2025, 11:36:17 AM

Your leadership is seen in the people you lead Watch the premiere of our podcast as we look at "Can You Be an Entrepreneur Inside a Company? (Intrapreneur Explained)" Click to watch: https://youtu.be/E4t_zfM7q7c Subscribe, Like, Share and Comment #Thecharteredvendor #Sellinglikeavendor

The Chartered Vendor

6/4/2025, 9:41:39 AM

WHY BUSINESS AND ROMANCE DON'T MIX — ESPECIALLY IN AFRICA Let’s be honest: if there’s one thing that can finish your company faster than the economy or ZESA cuts — it’s mjolo at work (love relationships). Workplace relationships are the silent saboteurs of productivity. And if you’re a business owner, manager, or even the office tea lady, this is your reminder: “Your company is not a dating site. It’s not Tinder. It’s not Netflix & Chill Inc. This is a business. Respect it.” Your House, Your Rules – And Mjolo Must Stay Outside There’s a powerful book by Danny Kennedy called “No B.S. Ruthless Management of People and Profits.” In that book, he basically says: “If it’s your company, then it’s your house. Your house, your rules!” So if you want to declare that “No mjolo in my company,” guess what? You’re within your rights. In fact, put it in writing: No dating coworkers. No flirting in the storeroom. No side-eyes during lunch break. Why? Because mjolo messes things up — big time. Why Mjolo and Business Don't Mix – African Edition Let’s break it down. You're running a small but growing business in Lusaka, Harare, Nairobi, or Lagos. Everything is fine... until: One employee starts dating the other. The breakups begin. Suddenly, people are not talking, messages are being ignored. “I’m not working with him today.” “She left the cash drawer open on purpose!” Productivity goes from 100 to my uncle’s network at the border: zero bars. And worse, if YOU as the boss start dating your employees? My brother, my sister — pack your bags. You are digging your own grave... with a love letter. Don’t Turn the Office Into a Soap Opera Let’s face it — we’re already stressed in Africa. We don’t have time to be dodging glances and hearing “He broke my heart” in the HR office. We want to grow the business, pay salaries, and maybe, just maybe, afford chicken during the month (not just December). So when you allow mjolo at work: Your staff splits into “Team Sheila” and “Team Brian” WhatsApp groups become love battlegrounds. Lunch breaks become therapy sessions. And next thing, you’re losing clients because someone didn’t deliver — because “they were heartbroken.” Bosses, Keep It Professional Dear CEO, Founder, Manager — if you see a beautiful lady working for you and you start catching feelings, release her. Literally. Help her find a job somewhere else, and date her from there. Because the moment you start calling her “babe” in the office, your authority drops to the floor. And trust me, once other employees see the boss dating a junior staff member, you’ve lost control. Now every Friday turns into Kiss Friday, and KPIs start meaning Kissing People Inside. Keep the Love, Not the Drama We’re not saying don’t love. We’re just saying love wisely. In Africa, where businesses are already pushing against power cuts, forex issues, potholes, and load shedding — the last thing we need is “emotional load shedding” at the workplace. So repeat after me: No mjolo at work. If you love her, let her work somewhere else. Let the office stay clean, professional, and full of productivity — not pregnancy rumors, side eyes, and emotional damage. #Thecharteredvendor #Sellinglikeavendor #Entreprenuership #Mentorship