Business lessons from refugees

The Government of Malawi has ordered refugees who are outside Dzaleka Refugee Camp to return to the camp. This follows the lifting of the injunction which was obtained by some of the refugees in April 2021.

Therefore, this means that anytime the government will set in motion the relocation exercise, which will affect thousands of refugees who are plying their businesses outside the camp.

Dzaleka was designed to accommodate around 14 000 refugees, but now it houses nearly 50 000, and hundreds more are still arriving, especially from the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

According to a report by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), government’s order is likely to affect many asylum seekers. Officials have since asked the government to wear a human face when acting on the move. A similar sentiment has been echoed by Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) chairperson Gift Trapence who has called on the Malawi Government to safeguard the refugees’ property.

One refugee, Jean Minani, told AFP that he had fled Burundi 13 years ago and sought asylum in Malawi where he now runs a food store. Kanamula John, who represents Rwandan refugees in Dzaleka, expressed worry that some refugees have married Malawian women and some Malawian men have married refugees and they don’t know what will happen to their children.

Now, a one-million-dollar question is what we have learned from these foreigners for the time that they have been in Malawi. You would agree with me that these people have made tremendous developments with their businesses. Most of them have built houses, own big grocery shops and farm different crops across the country.

All these businesses are also owned by Malawians, in the same land and environment. It is disheartening to know that owners of this land who are Malawian are failing miserably to run even small-scale businesses which when given to refugees are booming.

For example, take two different grocery shops located in our areas and owned by a Malawian and a refugee. After a while, you will discover that the grocery owned by the Malawian has collapsed while the one belonging to a refugee is growing.

Consequently, Malawians start to be jealous of the refugees claiming that they are snatching their businesses; hence, they should relocate to the camp, instead of sitting down with them to ask the secrets of their success in business.

Frankly speaking, these people have been ridiculed left, right and centre by Malawians who continuously claim that they monopolise businesses meant for them. Let us put aside such allegations and focus on their determination and business-oriented spirit. I hope most of you would agree with me that these people work very hard and they know time management.

They would open a shop as early as 5am and close at around 10pm. While a Malawian shop is opened at 6am, some even 7am, and close at 6pm. When a customer comes at closing time, Malawians send him away. Do we think these two businesses could perform in the same way? The answer is a strong no. The one which is opened earlier and closes late is likely to make more money than the one which is opened late and closes early.

Refugees who operate businesses know how to take care of their customers, no wonder more customers flock to their shops. How do you expect a customer to go back to a shop where they are told to buy a carrier bag after buying items worth K5 000 yet when they buy items worth the same amount in a shop of a Burundian, they are given a free carrier bag.

Not only that, when a certain item is not available in shops owned by some Malawians, you are certain to get a sarcastic response.

These small acts have differentiated Malawians and refugees when it comes to running businesses. Therefore, before government affects the order to send them back to Dzaleka Refugee Camp, let us learn from them and Malawi will not be the same.