With the advent of social media, many young people are taking advantage of various online platforms to conduct business and reach a wider audience. Some have ventured into selling second-hand clothes, baking cakes, and providing different services to the public, using social media as a key marketing tool.
Florence Mbale, a 24-year-old trained secondary school teacher, is one such example. Due to unemployment, she ventured into baking cakes for various occasions, which she sells using Facebook for advertising. Mbale started her business in 2021 after completing college, when she was unable to secure a teaching job.
She explained that the business has helped her sustain herself financially while she continues to look for employment. Mbale noted that Facebook has significantly improved her business, as it has enabled her to reach more clients beyond her family and friends. She now receives orders from people she does not personally know and sells an average of five cakes per month.
According to her, the prices of her cakes range from K150 to K1,000, depending on the client’s needs. Mbale hopes to expand her business to other social media platforms in order to attract even more customers. She has encouraged other young people who have completed school and are still searching for jobs to consider starting small businesses to support themselves while waiting for employment.
In a separate interview, Diana Bwalya, a 30-year-old entrepreneur, shared her experience of running a business that deals in various goods sourced from Turkey, China, South Africa, and Tanzania. Like Mbale, Bwalya also relies on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to advertise her products.
Bwalya started her business in 2021 after failing to secure formal employment. She orders goods from suppliers in different countries based on customer requests. Through the use of social media, she has managed to expand her customer base from just family, friends, and church members to the general public.
She added that social media has also helped her maintain consistent customers. However, Bwalya said she is still looking for a job so that she can strengthen her business further. Currently, she only purchases items upon order, which means clients have to wait for some time before receiving their products.
BY TRYNESS TEMBO
