David Macharia is the founder of Versatile Hub Africa and the Lead Creative. Versatile Hub Africa is a social enterprise platform that brings together entrepreneurs in the creative economy sector under one portal.
I didn’t get an opportunity to go to campus after form four. I left our home in Kinangop and came to Nairobi to work at a photography lab that was known as Mwangaza Studio. After resigning in 2003, I started working as a freelancer around Kangemi. I used to borrow cameras from seniors in the industry.
Although I didn’t have cash, I had social capital which helped get my footing on the ground. My initial target customers were house-helps who really referred their bosses’ families for family portraits. This gradually helped me gather capital that eventually helped me register Versatile Photographers.
I was employed from 2000 to 2003. I resigned from my job to become a freelance photographer. In 2006, I met Bonface Mwangi who mentored me in commercial photography. I saved some money and acquired photography equipment. In 2007, I met Mathew Gathua, the founder of Valentine Cake House. He requested me to take photos of his cake during a wedding where I was working as a paparazzi.
This became the start of an incredible journey of referrals that saw me cover what was billed as the biggest Victorian themed wedding in Kenya under the sponsorship of a top local media house.
I grew up without the advantage of a disposable income. I became very careful in how I spent my money. Every coin had to go into production of more coins. For example, when I registered Versatile Photographers, I went really hard on reinvesting most of the income I earned. I made mistakes though.
The biggest mistake was lack of accountability and trusting the wrong people to handle the profits. This almost sunk the business. This experience taught me that proper business structures and processes are more critical than uninformed trust.
In 2015, I was commissioned to cover the Obama Visit during the GES Summit. We were the only photographers who were credited to offer content to all local and international media houses. This was my breakthrough. It enabled me to start the first photography school in East Africa. From this success, I also registered Versatile Adventures which is a tours and travel venture.
Starting a business is one thing making it sustainable is where the challenges come. If I could start all over again, I would establish structures and processes first and focus more on satisfactory customer experience. In Kenya, our work ethic is wanting. In my own way, I create my own competition by training more people in the industry to start their own businesses and commission them later to do my projects.
Damaris Wacera: What I’ve learned in 10yrs of business after starting with Sh. 150,000
Most of the money we get is invested in more innovation to increase our cash flow. Last year, we started to invest more in real estate and hospitality. With this, we gather ideas to build a project that offers luxury living on a good budget. Currently we have five properties in Maasai Mara and Olakira Mara Homes where we offer exclusive and private experiences to our guests. Personally, I had a culture of saving money in saccos until I lost one million shillings.
Always be open to learning. There are opportunities in Africa and if we continue whining with excuses, foreigners will keep winning with their businesses. Just start and get a mentor to walk the journey with you or join us at Versatile. Invest in social capital.
This is the advice my mum gave me when I left our Kinangop village for Nairobi. Invest in yourself so that others can invest in you.
A version of this profile feature was also published in the Saturday Magazine. The Saturday Magazine is a profile of the Nation Media Group.
